


Empty, yet Special

by Kiaishi



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Angst, Drama, Emotional Manipulation, M/M, Mild Gore, Sadness, Violence, liars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-27 08:27:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5041210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiaishi/pseuds/Kiaishi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yu Narukami has realized something that he didn't want to face for a long time: He wanted the case to remain unsolved. Having an emotional crisis, he turns to the Social Link he has yet to max out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Facade

**Author's Note:**

> I have written this a long time ago, but I only continued on chapter 2 yesterday. Since I am still pretty content with this, I decided to continue writing on it.

Sure, Yu had never thought that it would be like this, but being Rank 7 in the Jester Social Link definitely was troublesome and great at the same time. Adachi had been recently ordered by Dojima (who was in the hospital) to watch over Yu and to see that nothing bad happened to his beloved nephew. As if that wasn't embarrassing enough, Adachi has recently bought a car - nothing fancy, just a cheap ride to get through to the crime scenes in time - and the detective insisted on picking up Yu from school every day, saying that he was worried about the student's safety and how the fog was said to be toxic.

 

The first few rides with Adachi have been spent in awkward silence if it weren't for the older male's humming to the tune of the radio, but after a week, the atmosphere between them has changed and became something weird, almost eerie. Adachi would act normal and talk about trivial things, like the work, the mess in his apartment and how his cooking attempts weren't ever successful. But that only lasted until the car stopped at the Dojima residence. Then Adachi would speak about how Yu had become the talk of the town after the rides home began. He would drop hints, such as _"They really asked me if we are a couple....those dumbasses."_ , _"You really are the talk of the town right now....well, beside the fog."_ or _"You have to be really careful around people...who knows what they're up to, right?"_ Each time the car stopped, Adachi would give Yu one of these sentences, his facial expression changing to a wicked, malicious grimace and Yu could swear that he saw those eyes light up in an amber color for a split second. Due to that expression, Yu knew that something was terribly wrong, but he decided to observe without asking questions for now. Igor's words came to his mind 'Perhaps it's time for less action. You should carefully think over everything that has happened.'

 

As Yu made his way home, he decided to check out whether the rumor of the Midnight Channel being available on non-rainy nights was true. He had nothing better to do without Dojima and Nanako around, anyway. So, he stood in front of the greyish screen, staring into it until he heard a familiar buzzing, a noise that the television made when searching for channels during a storm. The image was shaky, but after a while, Yu was able to make out a faint figure. So the killings would continue? He couldn't think of anyone who would fit the victim profile. Nobody was that popular in the media, so nobody should get kidnapped...maybe his mind was playing tricks on him, he didn't know. He decided to wait until tomorrow to find out.

 

The next night, he stood in his room again, blankly staring into the TV. His friends seemed to forget to check it out, but Yu didn't blame them. After all, they were all proceeding under the assumption that it had to rain for the Midnight Channel to be visible. So he waited until the clock's hands were both pointing up before fully turning his attention to the TV. What he saw shocked him and surprised him at the same time. He saw himself, he couldn't be mistaken. But why? _'You really are the talk of the town right now'_ , it echoed in his head. _'You have to be careful around people...who knows what they're up to, right?'_

 

What scared him the most was the thought of entering the TV unprepared, to bare his thoughts and feelings to his friends. He didn't want the case to end, he needed to be...well, needed. But at the same time, he wanted to finish it as soon as possible, so that the truth would finally be revealed. After checking that the door and the windows were locked, Yu went to sleep, hoping that was just a mistake or a random appearance that he had made on the Midnight channel. He barely got any sleep, hyperaware of his surroundings, waking up next morning to go to school. It was the usual routine, he'd walk to school, meet Yosuke on the way and they would talk about the case for a bit. Today however, Yosuke looked concerned. "Hey, what's up, partner? You look even paler than usual." Yu turned his head so that he was facing Yosuke and swallowed loudly before he spoke "Did...did you watch the Midnight Channel yesterday?"

 

Yosuke seemed to be caught off-guard by the question, but shook his head, listening to his partner carefully. They had arrived at the school gates and Yu sighed "Well, the one that was on it last night was-"

 

"Hey, Narukami-kun!", a cheerful, somewhat sleepy voice interrupted them. "Do you have a second?" It was Adachi, but it was unusual for him to come to the gates before school. However, Yu nodded and after giving Yosuke a look that meant 'talk to you after school' and earning a smile in response, he went over to the detective.

 

"Ahh, I hope I didn't interrupt anything between you two...I just wanted to say that I won't be able to pick you up after school. I have just gotten an emergency call and all the other people at the station said they can't take over the case."

 

Great. And that on a day Yu would have actually wished to be next to someone he knew well. He never felt so much panic in his whole life. Adachi smiled a soft, almost apologetic smile and patted the boy's head. "I'm sorry. But I do believe you can manage on your own. After all, you caught the culprit." It was Adachi's plan to make the boy tremble with fear. And he got just the reaction he wanted and tried to hold back a satisfied smirk, hiding it behind a concerned, small pout. "H-Hey. What's wrong? You're trembling, are you cold? Wanna call in sick for today?"

 

That's what the boy would have rather had done, but he had to tell Yosuke about the Midnight Channel. He didn't know yet that he wouldn't have the opportunity to do so anymore. He shook his head and after earning a few more concerned looks from Adachi, he realized that the other students were already starting to stare in their direction. “I'll have to go now, Adachi-san. The school bell will ring any moment now.” After he excused himself, he bowed his head politely and turned around, making his way to the classroom, overhearing multiple gossips about him. Most of them were directed towards his sexuality and how it wasn't normal that while he was surrounded with so many girls willing to date him, he still preferred the company of his male friends. It wasn't that he didn't want to be loved. It's just that he knew that once the case was over, everybody would leave him behind. But that was alright, he was used to it. The easiest way to endure the pain that he felt every time he was left behind was to never cling to people, never be dependent on anyone. Never love someone wholeheartedly, except for maybe Dojima and Nanako, since they were the only family he really had.

 

The school bell rang and brought Yu back to the reality. He pulled out his notebooks and tried to focus on the school topics for now. He still would have time to talk to Yosuke about the Midnight Channel during the lunch break...or so he thought. During the break he couldn't find the brunette anywhere and panic started to rise again. It seemed that not only Yosuke, but all of his friends have wandered off to somewhere. Even Naoto, who usually distanced herself from others seemed missing. He felt betrayed, his chest was hurting. Yet, his face had shown none of it, he has learned to put up a facade that nobody would be able to break. He always has done everything in his might to help others, not expecting to get anything in return. Today though, he would have wished to get emotional support from his brunette friend, after all they have been through. He decided that it was time to return to the classroom, since the bell would ring in 10 minutes. He had spent most of the break looking for anyone to talk to, just in case something should indeed happen. Still not giving up on the idea, he sat down and wrote a note. _'Junes after school. Y/N?'_ before he tossed it onto the desk of the brunette. He was the closest of his friends, after all.

 

School continued as usual, the same boring questions that Yu answered with ease, earning admiring looks from his classmates. Usually, that looks would make him smile softly in return, but today, his mind was too full of questions to actually care for anything else than solving them. The silver-haired male was thankful once he heard the last bell ring, meaning he could finally tell what was bothering him. He turned around just in time to catch Yosuke fumbling with his shirt.

 

“Hey, man..”, he said as he looked up, somewhat ashamed. “Sorry that we ditched you in the lunch break...and umm..” It seemed that he was struggling to find the right words. Then he sighed “You know how exam results were out today? Well, I had to call my dad and tell him my grade and now I have to help him out at Junes as a sort of punishment.”

 

In a sort of trance, Yu nodded “No problem. Do you need help? We can still talk about the Midnight Channel after that.”, he suggested. As he realized what he just said, he also understood why he said that. The last thing he needed today was to be alone so that someone could push him into the TV. After all, if the lead they were following was true, everyone shown on the TV ends up kidnapped. After they caught Namatame, that shouldn't be an issue...but still.

 

“Really?! Man, you're the best! I owe you so much!”, Yosuke said with an enthusiastic grin and walked ahead, expecting his friend to follow him.

 

That day was the monthly electronics sale, where Junes tried to get rid of all the old models of PCs and TVs to make place for the new ones arriving at the end of the month. Yu was happy that many people were around and that he had a lot to do, so that nobody had a chance attacking him without risking the police to be informed. Yosuke was there as well even though he spent most of the time in the warehouse, it was still nice to know that in case the worst happened, he still had his partner to call out to. He was really busy helping customers, so he didn't notice how the time went by. After what felt like 2 hours, the brunette approached Yu and patted him on the shoulder. “Great work today. Thanks again. I'll go close the warehouse and then we are done for today.”, he cheered, rubbing his sore shoulders as he walked away. The act caused Yu to smile, happy that he forgot his worries for the time being. He took off the Junes apron and folded it nicely, heading to put it back into the employee wardrobe. As he made his way past the TVs, he heard a faint whisper, but decided to brush it off and head to his destination asap. He didn't like the feeling he had, a voice in the back of his head screamed at him to get away from there as fast as he could.

 

Before he could obey that voice's command, he saw arms coming from the TV and he was about to scream for Yosuke to help him, but as if the owner of those arms had heard his thoughts, one of the hands grabbed him by his throat and tightened the grip until it was almost enough to choke him. The second hand had covered his mouth and then the person inside the TV started pulling him in. Yu dropped the apron in order to have both hands free and try to struggle against the attacker, yet the grip of both hands that dragged him in was firm and the person that was doing it was certainly not about to give up. Eventually, another pair joined in, the force of the pull by the two unknown people was enough to make him stumble backwards, falling for what felt like a minute before he found himself in the embrace of the person with a Yasogami High uniform. The grip on his throat was thankfully gone, but Yu was sure that his neck would show bruises the next day....if he were to live until then. He coughed a few times before looking up at the person who held him tight, just to find himself staring at himself. His other self didn't seem to have a murderous intent though, for it just sat there, holding him close and staring at him with it's amber eyes.

 

“What...What is happening?”, he asked out loud as he turned his head just to see Yosuke grinning and looking at him with the same lifeless amber eyes.

 

“Well, we _are_ best friends after all.”, the brunette said, adding to the silver-haired male's confusion. He turned back to his own shadow, who just sighed.

 

It lowered it's gaze to stare Yu in the eyes again.“Look. Don't make things complicated and stay here for a while. A certain someone has summoned us since that person has felt how lonesome you are. All your friends leaving you during the lunch break is just the start. You know that you'll feel even worse once the case is solved, right? Don't deny it, I know what is in your heart.”

 

Yu smiled a bit at how caring the shadows actually were, almost like real humans. “Don't worry, I'll be fine. I managed to be alone back in the city, so why should here be any more difficult?”

 

Yosuke's shadow came closer and flicked his forehead, his face showing a light frown and his voice taking on a teasing note “Idiot~”, it said in a sing-sang voice and ruffled Yu's hair before sighing “You don't get it. Your Social Links are your strength. They are pieces of your heart. What would happen if all of them would fall away, what do you think?”

 

Not waiting for a reply from his human counterpart, Yu's shadow nodded “You'll break. You bottle your worries up, always afraid that the image of the 'leader', the image of the 'perfect human' will get disrupted. Do you know that your friends are the only thing left that helps you maintain that facade? I know how you feel inside. You feel like you want to cry, but there is nobody that you can turn to. You asked yourself quite a few times if your friends here in Inaba are even real friends at all. Yukiko has mentioned quite a few times that she will only follow you until the case is solved.”

 

The silver-haired male just sat there, hugging his shadow and didn't say anything for a while. He knew it was true what his other self said. He was afraid and aware that everyone would leave him once the case was solved. Hell, even Adachi would stop caring if the case were to be closed. Meaning that would only leave Dojima and Nanako, maybe Teddie, but that's it. He hated self-pity, but right then he just couldn't help himself. It was a while before he finally calmed down enough for the two others to continue.

 

“You know...we are going to leave it at that for today. You will exit through the same TV we pulled you in through. Feel free to visit us whenever you need an advice. That person has summoned us here exactly for that purpose.”, the brunette's shadow said and Yu's shadow added “You are always welcome here. It's just that the human Yosuke must by now be sick with worry, you know? So, you better go.”

 

With that, The silver-haired shadow has released his human counterpart and pointed to a TV standing in the corner of the otherwise empty room. The room sure did have an eerie feeling to it, but Yu ignored it, thanked the two shadows and jumped through the TV just to safely land on the floor of the Junes electronics department. He rubbed his neck, but smiled to himself. It was nice to have someone to talk to, even if it were just shadows. He was torn out of his thoughts by his friend shaking him.

 

“Yu...Yu, are you okay?”, he asked worriedly, tears welling up in his eyes. “You scared me to death! Why were you in the TV?”

 

“I'm alright, Yosuke.”, he said with a faint smile. “I was pulled inside by something, but as I was inside, I saw nobody. Maybe I just tripped and hit my head while falling as well.”, he half-lied, rubbing the back of his head as if to prove his point. The brunette seemed content with that, but another question left his lips.

 

“So, what was up with the Midnight Channel?”, he asked worriedly “You looked so ghastly pale this morning.”

 

Quickly covering up the identity of the person, Yu nodded.“I'm sure I saw someone on it. I'm worried that the murders haven't stopped yet. But we have no other choice than to be careful for now and to wait for Namatame to be interrogated.”

 

“Yeah, you're right. Even though I'd prefer that this madness comes to an end, it's giving me a headache.”, Yosuke said, offering the paler male a hand to help him stand up. “Come on. You should get some rest, man.”, he said with a happy wink, giving Yu the money that he earned and with another encouraging pat on the back, the brunette pulled his headphones up and started sweeping the floor. Not caring to ask if he should help, the silver-haired teen took another glance back at the TV that he was pulled into before he turned around and left, heading straight home.

 

Upon arriving at the residence, something seemed off. The lights in the kitchen were on and he could clearly hear someone chopping inside. As he tried to open the door, he found it unlocked, much to his distress. Quietly sneaking inside, he looked around, almost jumping as he saw Adachi standing in the kitchen. The whole feelings were too much to him and his facade had shown a crack as he sank down to his knees, trembling slightly. He still did his best to smile at the older politely “A-Adachi-san...how did you come in? O-Oh and why are you here?”

 

The detective wasn't sure how to react. He kinda started caring for the kid, but he also loved to see him so inferior, trembling with fear while standing on his knees. In order to keep his secret safe, the police officer decided to hide the latter and approached the teen, pulling him into a friendly hug. “Hey, Narukami-kun. What happened to you? You're shaking like a leaf..”, he said in the most worried voice he could pull off, feeling the teen return the hug.

 

“I-I just was scared...it's all.”, he said, faking a reassuring smile. He couldn't believe he has shown such a weakness to one of his Social Link friends. But he also felt that the bond with Adachi has become stronger. If he wouldn't be so tired, he'd probably notice the small smirk curving the detective's lips.

 

After helping the younger male stand, the dark-haired male nodded “I'm glad that it's all there is to it. I have visited Dojima-san and he told me to spend the night here and gave me a key, since he feels bad for you if you spend every night alone. And since nobody is waiting for me at home either, I decided that I'd cook dinner and- Damn it! The meat is burning!” The clumsy detective ran up to the stove and quickly stirred around so that the meat would fry evenly. After that, he proceeded to pick out the already burned pieces and put them into garbage. The whole act was rewarded by a small, happy chuckle on Yu's side before the teen went over to the sink and washed his hands, proceeding to chop the cabbage after his hands were clean.

 

Together, they finished a quite delicious meal and ate together, for once the house was lively and didn't have a ghastly appearance. That was a thing that the silver-haired male was really grateful for. They watched TV that was showing a comedy show, apparently to distract the people from the constant talk about the dangerous fog. But the two of them didn't care, for they spent most of the show talking to each other, the talk mostly being Adachi's tales about his accidents and mishaps at work and at home. For example, the detective told how he took the remote of his TV instead of his cellphone to work today, which caused a cheerful laughter to fill the room. With every little tale, Yu seemed to become more open, sometimes replying to Adachi's stories with his own that had shown that he wasn't as perfect as most people thought at all. In his old school, he used to be one of the 'cool kids', always pulling pranks on others, but he always got himself caught. He only changed for the good once the middle school has ended. The detective was laughing wholeheartedly at that, while drinking his beer.  
  
“Well, being young sure is nice. Right?”, he commented, earning another nod from Adachi.

 

Their evening was going smoothly, but at one point Adachi asked a few questions that definitely caught the younger male off guard.

 

“You were telling you were one of the cool kids...you didn't seem to have many friends before you moved here though. Or am I wrong?”, the dark-haired male asked as he tilted his head. He knew that he struck a nerve, he knew that he ruined the mood, but he also knew that the teen would put up his facade again. And he was right, but his eyes were looking right through the teen, staring into his heart.

 

Shifting a bit as he felt a piercing gaze on him, the silver-haired male nodded and put up a smile “Yeah, I guess I didn't have enough time to hang out with people.”

 

Adachi heard how calm the voice was, but he knew that on the inside, the teen was breaking, he was realizing that it would all return to that lonely void in the end. And he would help that downfall. With Narukami broken, his new world wouldn't be stopped by anyone. And those two shadows whom he ordered to take on the shape of Yu and his friend...they did a great job in putting the first cracks into the boy's soul. “Hey. You don't have school for the next four days, right? How about we go for a small trip?”, he suggested, finishing his can of beer and helping the silver-haired male with the dishes, catching the plate that the other almost dropped.

 

“What? A trip?”, the younger one asked, unsure if he heard Adachi right. He had never been on a vacation trip with anyone apart from the little beach-trip with his friends, so he was excited and scared at the same time. A nod from the detective indicated that he heard everything right. “Since I have a car now, why not put it to good use? Traveling alone isn't fun and the only other friend I have beside you is in the hospital. So, what do you say?”

 

“S-Sure. I'll just tell my friends about it.”, he said, pitying Adachi for being just as alone as he was himself. He would have never guessed that such a cheerful and goofy person didn't have any friends. A small trip to leave his worries behind sure would be nice and he could get to know Adachi better as well. The Jester Link was one of the few he hadn't maxed out yet, alongside Teddie and Fox. But both of the other links were at level 9, so Adachi was the only Social Link that had yet a long way to go. The kitchen was clean in no time and the two of them packed some things for the trip before deciding where to go.

 

“It's winter, so swimming isn't a good idea.”, Yu commented and pinpointed a smaller city just about 2 hours driveway from Inaba. “Would you like to go there? I heard that they have some parks and that an exhibition is currently held there.

 

The statement seemed to genuinely surprise Adachi, seeing as the detective has widened his eyes and his jaw dropped some“Wow, you are really studious. I didn't think kids nowadays would be interested in culture.” A smile returned to his lips as he nodded “Sure, we can go there. I'll just tell Dojima about that tomorrow so he doesn't think that you fell off the face of the planet.”

 

After a nod from Yu there was silence for a few minutes before the silver-haired male broke it “We should go to sleep now, Adachi-san. Well, especially you since you have to drive. I'll prepare a futon for you.”

 

Smiling at the worry he received from the younger, or rather smirking at that, the detective nodded “Yeah, you're right. I'll go to the bathroom in the meantime.”

 

Yu had set the futon up in Dojima's room, but seeing that Adachi wasn't back yet, he changed into his pajamas, only coming out of his room once he heard footsteps on the stairs. Adachi had also changed into his sleepwear. “Here, you can sleep over there, Adachi-san. If you need anything, I'm right next door.” As if to prove it, he pointed to the door of his room.

 

The detective was busy cursing himself for having to be so nice to the brat until he saw that the teen was his room neighbor for the night. If he wanted, he could just kill the boy. His trigger finger was already itching, but he brushed that thought aside and smiled a gentle smile at the boy “Thank you. You are always so kind. Well then, I'm off to sleep. Go get some sleep too, yeah?” After exchanging their good night wishes, both of them disappeared into their rooms.

 

As Adachi laid in bed, his thoughts were going haywire. If he played his cards right, he would break Yu free from those petty friends of his and if he played them wrong there would still be an option of killing the boy. However, as he just laid there, a third option came to his mind....for that option, he had just the plan. The fact that Dojima was worried about his nephew to an extent of asking him to watch over the silverette played right into his hands. A dark, malicious smirk had appeared on his lips and he closed his eyes, happily allowing the darkness to embrace him as he fell asleep.

 

What awakened him again was the morning sun, telling him to get up early. It was a pain having to get up early on a day he had off work, but in order for his plan to work, he had to. He stood up and changed into regular clothing before taking the bags they had packed yesterday and loading them into his car. As he returned, he saw Yu coming downstairs, still in his pajamas and looking like a mess. The teen only noticed the detective once he turned to the fridge.

 

"Oh, I didn't know you're up already...good morning Adachi-san."

 

_Figures. If he knew, he'd pull the 'Mr. Perfect'-act._

 

"I hope that you slept well, Narukami-kun.", the detective replied, earning a nod from the teen after which his fingers fumbled in his pocket, finding his cellphone. "I better call your uncle before we hit the road"

 

The teen nodded once more, starting to make some Omrice for breakfast. Adachi had left the room, standing in the small backyard where Yu and his friends ate watermelon with Nanako not too long ago. He could practically still hear the laughter in the room, Yosuke calling out to him....wait. Yosuke calling out to him? Why was his voice so close and distorted? He turned his head only to see a head poking out from the TV in the living room. It was the shadow from yesterday! Quickly sprinting across the room, Yu spoke to the shadow in a theatre-like whisper, basically screaming at the shadow in a whisper.

"H-hey! Go back into the TV, I'll get into trouble if you don't!", he panicked.

 

"Too bad, that person had told us to watch over you and inform them if something bad happens. Seeing that you are cooking with a gas stove, you could get injured, you know? Just saying.", the Yosuke look-alike pouted a bit and looked through the open door into the garden. The silverette could have sworn that he saw its eyes widen a bit, almost in fear. "You have visitors, huh? That really could be a problem. Well then, see ya!"

 

That shadow winked at Yu before disappearing in the water-like surface of the TV screen. Just in time before Adachi came back with a goofy grin on his lips "All clear on my side. How about you? Have you contacted your friends yet?"

 

The boy staggered backwards, so that he wouldn't be staring into the TV like an idiot anymore. "Ah, no. Not yet. But I'll do so after the breakfast." He hurried into the kitchen area, wondering who the person was that cared about him so much. It had to be a busy person if he ordered shadows to watch him...but it couldn't be a really good person, since the shadows themselves were obeying him and seemed to have respect for that person. He absent-mindedly finished cooking and served the food on two plates, waiting for Adachi to sit down so that they could eat.

 

Breakfast was spent in silence, but Yu was thankful for that. He was glad that Adachi didn't hear any of the talk with the shadow or just seemed not to care. The only sounds that broke the silence were small happy hums from the detective and from time to time a small compliment to the teens cooking skills. "Mind doing the dishes, Adachi-san? I kinda need to make myself look decent and inform my friends.", Yu explained to his friend and the detective nodded. "Sure thing. Take your time."

 

Thanking the dark-haired male for the help, Yu went upstairs and took a quick shower, changing into casual clothes. Since it was winter, Yu went with grey skinny jeans, a plain white shirt, his grey coat with green highlights on the edges and along the line of the zipper. To top it off he loosely wrapped a green scarf around his neck and looked into the mirror, agreeing with himself that he looked presentable before he heard his phone beep. He flipped his cell open and saw that the caller was Yosuke. He picked up just to hear a panicked voice. "H-Hey...dude, I s-saw you on the Midnight Channel yesterday. Are you okay? Do you want me to come over?"

 

"Yosuke-"

 

"I have no idea what to do to protect you! I thought that the killings had stopped! What is the meaning of that?!"

 

"Yosuke, listen-"

 

"I don't want to lose you-"

 

"CALM DOWN.", it was rare for Yu to raise his voice, but when he did, everyone listened. He was successful, for the rambling stopped after a small apology was said by the brunette. "Even if what you say is true, you don't have to worry. I will be travelling with Adachi-san for the next four days and I doubt that someone attacks me while I have a detective with me. So, don't worry, okay? I will send you a message every day so that you know that I'm alive and well. Please tell the others about the trip too, alright?"

 

"Yeah. Be careful and have fun, partner." , Yosuke was still sounding worried, but at least not panicked. "Bye, see ya in a few days."

 

"Thanks. See you, Yosuke."

 

After that, the teen hung up and went downstairs, quickly apologizing as he saw the detective play with his keys while sitting on the couch. "Sorry for the wait, Adachi-san."

 

Looking up in the direction of the voice, the detective nodded, remaining silent for a few moments to take in the rare sight of Yu in casual clothing, before smiling "You look great, kid. That aside though...did something happen? I heard you shout."

 

The teen shifted uncomfortably under the stern look of the detective, his cheeks turning a shade of pink as the older male spoke. "T-thanks. And it was nothing. Just tried to get a point across."

 

Adachi knew that Yu was lying. The teen would never raise his voice for something as trivial as that. But he had heard most of what the teen was saying on the phone, so it didn't matter to him. So all he said before heading out was "I see, I see."

 

Yu followed, locking the door behind them and sitting next to Adachi in his car. It was clear that he was more than a little excited and that smile he had shown didn't go unnoticed by the older male. "I didn't book a hotel yet, so if it goes worse than expected, we'll have to sleep here." The silver-haired male didn't seem to care, so he just gave his friend an enthusiastic smile before they took off. The ride was going smoothly, they didn't have any traffic jams, arriving at their destination in an hour and thirty minutes. It was a great place. The fog was nowhere to be seen, the city wasn't a metropole, having lots of parks and natural reserves, giving it a fresh, natural feel instead of a concrete jungle aura that radiated from most cities.

 

"Do you like it?", the detective asked even though it was clear from the wide gray eyes and the bright smile that was for the first time as intense as it was now. The car stopped at a public parking lot and the two of them got out of the car, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air.

 

“I love this city. Thank you for bringing me here.”

 

This kid was way too honest today, but it was kind of great for the detective that he didn't have to guess what was up with him, which was way more relaxing. He smiled a bit and ruffled the silver hair of the teen. “We just got here, say that again after you actually see the city.”

 

The atmosphere between them was light and cheerful. Yu felt something inside of him change, his heart feeling a familiar warmth going through it as it skipped a bit. He just leveled the Jester Arcana Social Link to level 8. Something felt different from when he leveled the other Links up, but he couldn't pinpoint it yet. He smiled at the dark-haired male once more. “How about we search for a hotel and then go to grab something to eat?”

 

Since that sounded like a good plan, the detective agreed, despite hating to be led by someone, being a control freak himself. He walked around the town with the silverette before the teen sighed and told Adachi to hold on for a minute, buying a traveler's guide in a nearby kiosk, searching for affordable hotels. He knew that Adachi was low on cash and he didn't want to make his friend even more broke. Hell, if everyone would have earned money as fast as he did, defeating rare shadows, there sure would be one hell of inflation. He currently had 900 thousand yen...he wondered if the older male would accept him paying for the vacation except for the gasoline costs. He turned to Adachi and handed him the small booklet. “There should be an affordable hotel just 15 minutes of walk away.”, he declared, hoping that the hotels weren't overbooked. Some of them weren't, but only accepted bookings done at least 48 hours in advance. So, even after they checked out every single hotel in town, they didn't find anything. At times like that he wished Rise would be there. Surely, she would be able to use her former idol status to pull some strings. But, that still didn't upset him. They made their way through the crowded streets towards a small restaurant, which Adachi actually refused to go into first, since it looked too fancy for him, but a few moments later, Yu actually convinced him to come along, almost dragging him in.

 

“Come on, you can pick all you want, I'll pay. You must be exhausted after the trip and the fruitless search for a hotel.”, the teen said as he sat down at a table near the window.

 

_That damn brat._

 

“Wow...that's so kind of you, Narukami-kun! I am really sorry that I haven't thought of booking the hotel.”, he said, ruffling his own dark hair shyly.

 

Shaking his head and taking the menu card into his hands, Yu replied “Don't mention it, Adachi-san. You did me a big favor by bringing me with you.”

 

Adachi half smirked, knowing fully well what the teen was talking about. He knew every single bit of how Yu felt that moment, all because the boy had spilled his heart to some shadows capable of shapeshifting. This was too much fun. “Actually, Narukami-kun...If you are okay with that, I'd like you to call me Tohru. You know, we are friends after all and I don't see you calling your friends by their last names.”

 

A blush appeared on the teen's pale cheeks again and he nodded “Only if you also call me Yu. Otherwise I'd be uncomfortable.”

 

Alone this small exchange of words made Yu feel like he became closer to the goofy detective. That feeling only intensified as they ate together, Adachi talking about his school time, saying that he had been a dreamer, despite being the top student. The second part was hard to believe and the older of the two seemed to notice that as he flailed his arms around, saying how mean Yu had been to him and that he wasn't lying. After this he even said that once they were back, he'd show the teen his school certificate, pouting in determination. It was a one-of-a-kind experience to the younger male, for none of his friends were ever being this passionate while talking, but Adachi always made the most trivial of things sound like it was a big adventure he had a part in. Their dinner was as lively as it was yesterday, both of them seemed happy that they had time to talk about their past, their current worries and their plans for future. The detective wanted to move back to the city and keep working as a detective there again while the teen was aiming to become a lawyer, preferably a judge.

 

“You have set your goal high. Good luck with that, kid.”, Adachi said with a grin, thinking of how fitting it was. Well, it fit the kid more to be a detective, since he was so fucking good at that. His eyes narrowed a bit and his mouth melted into a grimace. He was glad that the kid seemed to preoccupied with watching the sun set and deciding what he'd have for dessert to notice the hate-filled look the detective gave him. The detective's mind was currently filled with so many thoughts. He knew he couldn't make his fantasies come true since the path he had chosen was so much more profitable for him. But damn, there were so many good ways to kill the teen before disposing his body in the TV. His most preferable would be to stab through his throat and see what would kill him first: bleeding or choking on his own blood. Oh, how he would love to see that eyes shimmer with the realization of betrayal, fear of dying before his breathing would stop. Choking the teen was also a charming idea, since he'd get to feel the teen make twitching movements in attempt to get away before his eyes would roll up, those thin lips would be parted, as to gasp for air, quivering before coming to a halt...he licked his lips slightly, his gaze fixated on the pale male before him after which he put his goofy grin back on.

 

“So, what will you have for dessert?”, he asked while picking a green tea-flavored ice cream for himself.

 

“Actually, I thought about pudding..”

 

Adachi snorted, trying not to laugh too loud. “S-Sorry, I just didn't expect _you_ to be ordering pudding. Usually only kids and girls enjoy this stuff.”

 

This time, the cheeks of the teen weren't pink, they went full red. “I-I actually love pudding. It has a unique texture and is sweeter than most other desserts in Japan.”

 

“Hey, kid. It's okay. Everyone has a different taste. It's just that you are really hard to read since you always are silent and mature.”

 

Unsure if he should take it as a compliment, the silver-haired male blushed even darker and hid his face behind the menu before muttering a thanks. Yes, Adachi would definitely have fun with the path he had chosen to go. These reactions were just priceless and he would draw out the reactions as often as possible along the way to his goal.

 

 

Eventually, the dessert was also gone and the two of them realized they spent whole two hours eating, a gaze out of the window would make clear they were here for quite a long time, for the sky was a dark blue, the night setting in as the last sun rays had drawn a red and purple pattern on the horizon.

 

“We should probably go soon.”, the silver-haired male suggested, licking the last bits of pudding off his spoon and actually keeping the spoon in his mouth as he opened his wallet and paid for their dinner...which was far less expensive than the fox's healing services. After that was done, he finally took the spoon out of his mouth and stood up, waiting for the older male to do the same. “Should we stop by a convenience store? We should at least get some drinks.”

 

After another nod from the detective, they left the building, heading for the nearest convenience store that they had passed by on their search for a place to sleep. “I really want a beer, actually...”, Adachi whined, causing Yu to raise an eyebrow. “Why don't you get some, then?”

 

“Drinking alone isn't fun and you have no experience with booze, right? Wouldn't want you to get drunk.”

 

It would be funny to see though. And since people said that while drunk, you are the opposite of yourself...maybe he'd get a few juicy secrets out of the boy.

 

“I doubt a can of beer would make me drunk. I doubt it's that strong.”, he said with a serious face, blank of all emotions. “I wonder how beer tastes like.”

 

That was going smoother than Adachi thought it would. Still, he acted like it was nothing but trouble. “Geez. Alright, but only if you don't tell your uncle about it. He'll burn me alive if he finds out I allowed you to drink.”

 

It was obvious that Yu wouldn't tell. This kid was curious and good at hiding things that would destroy his perfect image. If it wasn't for the emotional breakdown, Yu would have never shown so many feelings. He probably would even be more reluctant to accept his offer to go on a trip.

 

They walked into the store and a young female greeted them. Instantly after saying their greetings as well, the two of them went to search for the things they came here to buy. Adachi poked the teen in the side and whispered like Yosuke used to whisper to him when saying bad things about Chie. “Whoa, she sure looks great, doesn't she?” Yu took three cans of beer from the shelf and hummed without seeming too interested. “Yeah. Sure.”

 

Was the kid an asexual? He didn't seem interested in any of the girls around him, he didn't even spare a second look to the obviously hot chicks...he didn't seem interested in any of his male friends either, though. Why did Narukami's sexuality bother him? He didn't know, but for some reason he wanted to find out. He said nothing more for the moment, letting the teen pay for the beer and some sweets that Yu had wanted, after which he headed out, followed by the teen carrying the goods. Thankfully, Yu looked mature enough so that the female at the checkout didn't doubt that he was an adult.

 

“I suggest we head to the car. There was a park nearby and at this time of the day, especially in winter, nobody is sitting around in parks.”, Adachi said, not waiting for a reply as he headed to the said direction.

 

“But drinking alcohol in public places isn't appropriate, right?”

 

God, the kid was so damn innocent that it almost hurt the detective on a physical level. Adachi glared slightly “Dumbass, that's why we are heading to a place where no one is around.” Then, in a blink of the eye, his expression changed to that goofy grin. “Are you even listening to what I say? I am a detective, so obviously I would know how the people avoid being caught most of the time.”

 

Cold sweat formed on Yu's forehead as he saw that glare and heard Adachi call him dumb. If it would come from Kanji, the silver-haired male wouldn't have paid a second thought to it, but this coming from the ever so cheerful and innocent Adachi was making him shiver a bit. And that glare was short, yet so intense that it could freeze hearts. This was a new side of the detective, which the teen wasn't sure he could embrace open-heartedly.

 

Due to the anxiety that Yu was feeling, he didn't say anything, but Adachi didn't seem to mind as long as the younger male was following him. Thus, their walk was spent in silence, but when they approached the car, the detective stopped shortly, smiling "You can go ahead, I need a few things out of the car."

 

Not quite satisfied with the suggestion, Yu shook his head. "But it's dark. What if something bad happens?"

 

The detective needed the teen to go ahead for his plan to be fully functional, so he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I'll follow you in five meters distance, it's just so damn cold that I need to change or I'll get ill....or do you actually want to see me shirtless?"

 

As expected, that tease was enough to make the teen mumble something shyly and obey Adachi's order for him to go ahead. He walked towards the park and sure as hell there was nobody there. It was eerie so he glanced back, not seeing the detective anywhere. Hell, what if something has happened to him? Yu fully spun around, about to dash forwards when his mouth was covered by a hand and an arm snaked around his slim waist, pulling him close. The person reeked of alcohol and a month without shower and the hand so close to his nose only worsened it, making Yu nauseous.

 

"You look like a rich fella. Looks like I'm lucky.", the hoarse voice of the man cooed as he let a blade slide out from under his sleeve and pressed that blade against the pale neck, still holding the teen by his waist. Yu was trying to think of anything that would get him out of that situation. Begging? Not an option. His mind wandered to all the things Chie has taught him about in the means of self-defence, but none of those smooth kicks could help him in the situation. He felt the blade breaking his skin, a small droplet of blood running down his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying that this wouldn't be the end as his heart hammered in his chest, pounding up to his head until the only thing he heard was the beat of his heart, strong and fast. His knees felt weak and if it wasn't for the man holding him tight, he probably would collapse. The blade sunk slightly deeper, almost killing him by cutting through his throat. That was when a click resounded, the attacker had dropped the blade onto the ground, raising his hands and letting go of the teen. Yu's knees gave in and he sunk to the ground, looking up to catch a glimpse of his knight in shining armor...or more like 'detective in messy clothes'. Adachi was holding a gun against the attacker's head and apologetically smiled at the teen. "Sorry for the lateness. I decided to call the police before barging in."

 

The silver-haired male didn't reply, still in a state of shock. There were tears welling up in his eyes, but he didn't allow himself to cry. He was trembling, partially from fear, partially from excitement. Yes. He was excited that he had been on the verge of death, practically looking death in the eye before escaping it. And that all didn't go unnoticed by the sharp gaze of the detective. "Let's get you fixed up after that."

 

The police arrived very soon, asking Adachi a few questions, including why he carried a gun as a civillian. Yu couldn't blame them, the older male didn't quite look like detective material unlike his uncle. Luckily, Adachi seemed to always have his detective badge with him, showing it off to the other policemen before they left with the man who attacked the teen. They had asked if the ambulance should be called, but before Yu could reply, Adachi said that it was alright without one.

 

As soon as the two of them were left in complete silence, the detective helped the teen stand up, guiding him back towards the car and pulling a first aid kit out. Damn it, he noticed that the desinfection spray was missing. "Kid, we'll have to go with another method. Don't make a sound.", he warned, staring at Yu's confused face. After earning a small nod from the teen, Adachi pulled on the silver hair, tilting the head back slightly as he started to lick away the blood, smiling at the taste. He felt the teen tremble in his arms. If he was so sensitive to such a simple touch, Adachi wondered how he'd respond to the next step. He pressed his thin but soft lips to the wound, sucking lightly as he made sure that nothing had gotten into it. A small, barely audible whimper escaped Yu's lips, causing a smirk to appear on the detective's lips as he finished the job, spitting some of the blood onto the ground.

 

"You did well, kid.", he said as he took out the roll of bandages, wrapping three layers over the wound. He went about slowly, each time picturing pulling the bandages tighter around the kids neck, just to hear him gasp for air and beg him to stop. "This should do.", he commented, holding the teen's hand. "Still up to hanging out with me for the evening?"

 

 

"S-sure."

 

After locking the car and taking the bag with the beer with him, he walked back into the park as he still held the teens hand. Yu figured that the detective did that to prevent another attack. Sure, he wanted to protest, saying that he wasn't a child anymore and that he'd be fine now...but something about this hand gave him a feeling of safety, knowing that Adachi wouldn't leave him alone. This feeling of safety has overwritten the glares given to him before and that safety pushed the Social Link up to Level 9. As soon as he felt the change in the Social Link, he started blushing uncontrollably, not even sure why.

 

"Yu, are you alright?", Adachi asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. They had arrived at a playground, which wasn't used during nights, let alone in winter. Yu nodded once more, happy that Adachi let go of his hand, otherwise his cheeks would surely start to burn. The detective smiled, sitting down on a nearby bench and inviting the younger to sit with him by patting the space next to him, which the teen did. There was a pleasant silence between the two of them before Adachi broke it.

 

"Oh, look. It's snowing.", he commented, opening one of the beer cans and drinking some of it. "That's a nice life. No stress, nobody telling you to hurry."

 

The dark-haired male sounded dreamy, but Yu found himself nodding in agreement. "In Inaba I couldn't really see the snow because of the fog."

 

That ended their conversation again, both of them enjoying the sight of an almost fuzzy looking cover embracing the earth. It was beautiful and the sky was clear, unlike in Tokyo with all the smog or Inaba with the fog enveloping the area. Yu looked up, careful in order to prevent the wound to start bleeding again and took in the sight of the stars and the moon. He dreamily closed his eyes and stayed like this until something cold pressed against his cheek. His eyes opened, his gaze wandering sideways to Adachi, who held a can of beer to his cheek, offering him to drink.

 

"You can also taste some of mine before you open a new can. I don't know if you'll like it."

 

Yu shook his head, politely refusing the offer. He took the full can, opened it and pressed the small opening to his lips, drinking a small gulp at first. Noticing the expextant look the detective gave him, he smiled and drank at least the half of the can in one gulp.

 

"W-whoa! Easy, kid. You'll get drunk if you do it like this."

 

"I'll be...okay.", Yu drowsily replied, his state contradicting his words. "Besides...I'm not a kid anymore. I am the leader of people who pursued the murderer."

 

This could be entertaining. "Yeah...well, you still should be careful. Drunken people are so much trouble."

 

Yu emptied the can and looked at Adachi as if the detective just said something dumb. "Don't act like it, you basically made me drink with you...hic. So you wouldn't be drinking alone, you know?"

 

The gaze of the teen gave off that it was impossible for his brain to function on a level that it usually did. If Adachi would have known that a can of beer would make the teens mind such a mess, he'd suggest drinking with him much earlier. He let his mask of the goofy detective slip as a wicked grin replaced his nice smile.

 

"So, you would do anything if I said that I'm lonely? How about a kiss then, kid?", he asked teasingly to see how drunk the teen actually was.

 

Yu blushed a deep red, but of course his brain told him there was nothing wrong with that offer due to the alcohol haze. Thus, he leaned closer until his lips brushed against the other's in a soft motion. As he pulled away, he could hear the detective laugh. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, but Adachi didn't give him an explanation yet. They sat in silence again until the dark-haired male finished the two remaining cans.

 

"You really are something, kid.", he commented and threw the cans away. "You just wasted your first kiss, huh? Well then, how about I teach you how to do it right?"

 

Yu seemed slightly offended by that since his eyes narrowed some, but he forgot his anger as soon as a slender index finger pushed his chin up some, forcing him to look into the onyx orbs that were glimmering with something dark, foreign to the teen.

 

"Part your lips.", the older male commanded, chuckling as Yu obeyed. His lips parted as well as he kissed the teen, leaving a few open-mouthed kisses which graduately became more passionate after which he sucked on the teen's bottom lip, drawing his lips further apart and earning a breathless groan from the silverette. Was a can of beer really all it took to make Yu loosen up this much? The detective didn't care right then, responding to the groan by pulling Yu closer, a hand made it's way under the teen's thighs, pulling his legs up so they were laying on his lap before tracing circles on one of the thighs with his thumb. His other hand went to the back of the teen's head, his fingers tangling themselves in the silver hair and pulling lightly. The tongue of the detective invaded the moist hotness of the teens mouth, encouraging his tongue to play after it explored all corners of the wet cavern. Yu seemed hesitant about it, but eventually responded, mimicking the movements of the detective's tongue with his own. Sure, he was clumsy and inexperienced, but it still seemed to be enough to please Adachi, for he took their kiss a step further, sucking on the younger's tongue, letting it into his own mouth after which he trapped it between the roof of his mouth and his tongue and sucked hard, drawing a long moan from Yu. Satisfied, he repeated the action two or three times before letting go of the tongue and giving a small peck to Yu's lips, ending the session.

 

Upon looking over the face of the teen, he admired his handiwork. The cheeks of the silverette were flushed a deep red, his lips were glistering with saliva, parted as they drew short gasps and matching the color of his cheeks. His eyes were hazy, looking darker than usual. Whether that was an effect of the alcohol, arousal or both, Adachi didn't care. He was glad to have earned such a strong reaction from the usually poker-faced teen. "Well, Yu...I hope you enjoyed your first real kiss." Yu nodded absent-mindedly and Adachi frowned, something still bothered him. Making sure nobody was around once again, he pulled down the scarf of the teen, leaning down to bite the exposed spot between his neck and shoulder hard enough to draw blood, which he earned a loud moan for. After that, he sucked on the same spot until it was dark red, smirking as he thought of how it would turn a sickly blue the next day.

 

"Well then. We should get back and sleep a bit. You wanted to go to the exhibitions tomorrow, right?" If he would still have to hide behind the goofy detective mask, he would apologize for his 'inapproptiate behavior', but since the teen seemed to like it a lot, he didn't care to hide his smirk, nor did he feel the need to apologize. Not awaiting a reply, he moved the legs away from his lap so he could stand, waiting for Yu to stand up too. As the silverette finally got up however, he lost balance for a short amount of time, stumbling forwards and to avoid falling down, he clung to the next best thing that happened to be Adachi's yellow wintercoat. How lame.

 

"A-ah, I'm sorry, Tohru.", Yu stuttered, quickly letting go of the fabric and walking forwards. He was feeling drowsy, but determined to walk without the help of the older male. Adachi wasn't about to let that happen, since that was the perfect chance to embarass Yu. He approached the teen from behind and after a moment of hesitation, he picked the kid up. No wonder the shadows often ambushed the silverette if he didn't see Adachi coming. Surprisingly, despite how tall and well-built the teen was, he was extremely light, probably meaning that his bones were light and fragile. Oh how Adachi would love to crush every single one of them, just to hear those panicked and pained screams...but for now he'd play the caring friend. He had to.

 

"T-tohru, I can walk on my own...", the silverette protested as a blush crept over the pale cheeks. The boy was so predictable.

 

"You always do things alone. Let me help you once, alright?", the detective suggested as he continued carrying him.

 

That was enough to make Yu stop struggling and lay still in the older male's arms, letting Adachi carry him to the car where he was finally set down onto the ground so that the detective could open the car. "It's pretty cold", Yu commented, shivering slightly. He'd never admit it, but he got cold fast, so usually he would sleep in long pyjamas and socks, even in summer. The fact that he was wearing his winter coat helped, but also only a little. The air inside the car was freezing cold.

 

"You think so? Hm..", Adachi seemed to be lost in thought for a while before he pushed the back of the car seat back. Due to how old the car was, the back could be leaned down completely, allowing them to create a makeshift bed. "Guess we have no choice but to cuddle for tonight. I wouldn't want to risk you getting ill.", he declared, lying down first before motioning Yu to crawl ontop of him.

 

Hesitantly, the silverette straddled Adachi and rested his head on the older male's chest before stretching his legs out a bit so he was lying on top of the detective, chest to chest. He moved his head, resting it on the dark-haired male's shoulder, nuzzling his neck lightly.

 

"Little brat...", Adachi whispered with a smile on his lips as his arms wrapped around the slim waist, pulling Yu closer.

 

It wasn't the most comfortable position, but due to the events that day, the detective fell asleep very quickly, his chest rising and falling in a steady, slow pace. Due to the alchohol, Yu followed suit very soon, his legs misbehaving as one of his knees went between Adachi's thighs. The Social Link has grown into something that couldn't be reversed anymore, Yu knew it.

 

* * *

 

 

The biggest downside of sleeping in a car was the windows. Not because of people staring, since the parking lot was pretty secluded but because the morning light has woken Adachi up. Yu was safe from the lights since he hid his face in the detective's shoulder, but Adachi wouldn't let the teen sleep while being awake himself. He tilted his head so that his lips almost brushed the teen's ear.

 

"Rise and shine, Yu.", he whispered, enjoying the shiver that ran through the silverettes body, caused by the tickle that his breath left.

 

An unsatisfied moan came from Yu as he tried to crawl away and hide, only to cause friction between their bodies, drawing a groan from Adachi.

 

"K-Kid, seriously. Get up already...", he complained. Sure, it was his plan to keep the younger male as close as possible, but he didn't want the first trip ever to become erotic. Sure, there was enough space to have sex in the car...and nobody would see them. Damn, scrap that thought. He needed to get Yu off of him. He roughly grabbed the teen by his shoulders, shaking him slightly and pushing him up so that both of them were sitting and facing each other as the teen sat on the older male's lap.

 

"Oh....Tohru, I'm sorry..", he said sleepily, but crawled back closer to Adachi and cuddled up to him. "You're warm. Let's sleep for a bit longer..."

 

Before Adachi could even say anything, Yu was asleep again, with his face on the detective's chest. Oh how Adachi wished he could just kill the kid.. but then neither his goal would be accomplished nor would he be able to keep the suspicions away from himself. Everybody would know that he was the murderer.

 

A plan formed in his mind as one of his hands snaked back around the teen's waist, holding him in a tight grip as his other hand went under the clothing and up Yu's side, just to tickle him mercilessly. A nervous giggle has been the first sign of Yu coming awake. Soon it became a rolling, loud laughter that filled the otherwise silent car.

 

"S-Stop, T-Tohru......please~", the teen begged as he laughed, trying to break free, but the grip of the detective was too strong. As soon as first tears had welled up in his eyes from laughter, the torture has stopped. "N-Not a word about this to my friends...they will exploit it if you tell them."

 

"Couldn't possibly let that happen, could I? This will stay our little secret, yes? And the fact that you enjoy sitting on my lap too.", he teased, smiling as the teen seemed at a loss for words because he quickly realized what position he was in.

 

"Yeah, that will be our secret...along with the fact that I enjoy drinking beer with you..and kissing you."

 

That was all the reassurance Adachi needed. They have maxed out their Social Link, there was no turning back. Neither for himself, nor for Yu.

 

"You sound like you love me", he commented to reassure himself that he was right about the teen.

 

"Maybe I do.", Yu said nonchalantly, but his silver eyes burned with an unusual tenderness, prompting the detective to lean closer and lock their lips together.

 

If that were a woman offering herself to him so willingly, Adachi wouldn't have thought about it twice. But this coming from a male ten years younger than himself...well, he had to take up on the opportunity, it would definitely be a great asset in achieving his goal. His eyes flashed up a yellow color as he grabbed Yu by the collar of his shirt and yanked him forward, roughly kissing him. He wasn't about to take it any further for now though.

 

“Hey, Yu...”, he said as he pulled back. “Let's go home, yes?”

 

He knew how teens worked. He didn't understand why the leader of the 'good guys' has fallen for him in such a short time, but he knew that he now had Yu under his control. There would be nothing that the silver-haired male wouldn't do for him now. And he was right. He earned a nod from the teen who then proceeded to crawl away from Adachi so that the older male could stand up and get into the driver's seat.

 

“Oh...let's get something to eat first, Tohru...”, he suggested and already pulled out his wallet. “I'll go get something for us both if you don't mind.”

 

Always so damn kind and trusting. Adachi wondered how in the hell the teen has gotten this far in life. Nice people are always used, stepped on and then left behind as soon as there is no use for them anymore.

 

“Alright. Please get me some coffee if it's not too much of a hassle.”, he asked in his usual kind voice. Yu didn't have to know about his dark secret...yet.

 

Yu nodded and averted his gaze “Oh, sorry. It must have been uncomfortable for you to sleep like that...”

 

“It's fine, it's fine. I'll just get a bit more sleep when we get back, okay?”, he reassured, taking off his coat and putting it into the car as Yu walked towards the convenience store. As soon as the silverette was out of sight, Adachi smirked. “It was really worth it to hire that old man to mug Yu and cut him up a little...”

 

Unknown to the teen, he arranged everything. The attack on the teen, the shadows who looked and sounded like the people he trusted most....and of course he deliberately didn't book a hotel to get closer to the teen through body contact. And not to mention the beer. His plan was working out so smoothly that he didn't even believe it himself. It was all too perfect...

 

“Sorry that you had to wait, Tohru!”, Yu called out, approaching the older male with two cups with hot content and two small onigiri boxes. Sure, onigiri for breakfast was somewhat unusual, but Yu didn't trust any of the other fresh boxes. He knew well enough which boxes used ingredients from yesterday and which were actually freshly made.

 

"Wow, you're already back, kid?", Adachi mused, impressed by the speed. He wasn't a patient person, so it came in handy that Yu was the diligence in person.

 

"Just because the store is so close. I could've been faster."

 

Adachi's face had shown an annoyed grimace. _Damn that Mr. Perfect attitude of his._ He wanted to corrupt the boy's mind and crush that hard shell, making him weak and helpless...he was sure he would achieve that as soon as his petty friends would find out who the real killer was. As soon as they knew it, they would despise Yu for loving the murderer and the boy would have no more Social Links to prevent him falling into depravity. The boy would be bound to stay with him forever.

 

"Here is your coffee, Adachi-sa...I mean Tohru..."

 

That interrupted Adachi's trail of thoughts. "Ah, thank you."

 

His eyes still held a dark shine in them, making the usually clumsy detective look menacing and dangerous. Thus, the dark-haired male avoided eye contact as soon as possible, right after taking his coffee. He usually hated coffee, but he didn't want to risk getting both of them killed by falling asleep during their trip.

 

"Let's drive home right after breakfast, shall we?", he suggested nonchalantly, his facial expression once more becoming the carefree, clumsy one that he usually had, except for his gaze that remained sharp and analyzing. As he sipped his coffee, his eyes shifted and fixated on the boy, as if watching a wild animal that could attack him any moment.

 

“Yeah...if it's okay with you I'd like to see your apartment, though.”, Yu said bluntly, opening the car door and sitting down, so that he could rest the box on his lap.

 

The detective didn't reply right away, deciding to finish his breakfast in peace. Thus, a silence fell upon them and lasted for at least 20 minutes. With a sigh, Adachi broke the silence.

 

“Don't be too excited. I basically only sleep there.”, he finally replied and watched the teen's lips curve into a smile. It was amusing how love rendered rational people into simple minded, grinning teenagers. Then again, Yu is supposed to be a grinning teenager. After thinking that, Adachi just nodded “Let's go. I need a shower after all what happened.”


	2. Zero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Breaking my favorite characters is what I do. This is pretty gore-y. But mild gore-y.

After that, Adachi was visited by the teen every evening. Most of the time, Yu would just bring him dinner and a bento box for work. Of course, Adachi wasn't dumb enough to actually bring the box to work, otherwise his co-workers would pester him with questions about his girlfriend or even worse, they would notice that the boxes were from the Dojima residence...and then he would be in trouble for dating a male who was almost 10 years younger than himself...

 

And that day was no different. Adachi was just sitting at his desk and pretended to look over the files while in his mind he was at home, eating the lunchbox and then calling Yu to thank him for the well prepared meal. Of course, he'd tease the teen a little, otherwise it would be no fun. He was already looking forward to seeing the teen after work. Strangely, he couldn't bring himself to push the teen away anymore. On the contrary, he'd rather keep Yu with him at all times and make sure nobody touched what belonged to him.

 

It was a good thing that Dojima-san wasn't around to yell at him, yet at the same time it was even more frustrating since now the boss of the Inaba Police Department could yell at him directly.

 

“Adachi! You should go and interrogate Taro Namatame. We don't have any time to waste. I expect a detailed report on my desk tomorrow.”

 

Rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort, Adachi nodded. “Yes, sir.”

 

He wasn't a bad detective, but in this case, he needed to be one. If he really wanted to catch the true killer, he would have turned himself in long ago. So, he had to make Namatame's interrogation report as vague as possible, not including the fact that he didn't commit the actual murders. Or the fact that a certain police officer encouraged him to 'save' people. As he thought all that, he almost bumped into Yosuke, who was visiting Nanako.

 

“Oh, Hanamura-kun. I'm sorry, I am tired so I didn't see you.”, he said with an awkward laugh, running his hand through his hair.

 

The brunette didn't comment on that, but narrowed his eyes a little. “What are you doing here, Adachi-san? Shouldn't you be at work at this hour?”  
  


_That little stuck-up brat._

 

“Ah...yeah, the boss sent me out to check on Dojima-san. He wants his best worker back, after all.”, the dark-haired male lied, shrugging innocently. “Besides, we are thinking of moving Namatame to another hospital. Dojima-san won't be able to hold in his anger if Nanako-chan's condition gets worse again.”

 

The brunette widened his eyes at the last statement and without giving Adachi a second glance, he sprinted towards Yu's house, leaving Adachi alone.

 

_Shit....I have to hurry if I don't want these losers to meddle with my life anymore._

 

He entered the hospital and considered his options. He could throw Namatame into the TV and act like he didn't know anything about that so that it looked like Namatame jumped in by himself...but then the Shirogane brat might come to the conclusion that there is another person with the ability to put people in. After all, that Namatame guy was a pretty innocent and honest fella. He didn't even want to go into the room on the top floor where Namatame was...but he'll surely get kicked out if he doesn't deliver the report by tomorrow. He felt cornered for the first time and it was...fun. He felt excitement rush to his head as the realization that he was the most wanted person in Inaba dawned upon him.

 

He reached the top floor and opened the door to the room, just then realizing that his worries were baseless. Namatame couldn't even speak anything that was coherent. He was in too much of a shock as to say anything besides apologies and that he wanted to save people.

 

“Well then...thank you for your time, Namatame-san.”, he said at last, ending their conversation and leaving the building. 

 

What he didn't predict though is that the next day, Yu and his friends would interrogate Namatame successfully.  
  
Naoto, Yosuke and Yu stood outside after a long day of investigation and went over the facts.  
  
“So, to sum it up again...”, the girl spoke up “It has to be someone with connection to the murders, it has to be someone who can approach the Dojima residence without drawing attention and it has to be someone who knows in full detail what we are doing.”  
  
Yu nodded and directed his gaze up, letting snowflakes fall onto his cheeks. He already knew the answer. It was Adachi...the malicious looks he was given, the evidence...it all pointed to him. And yet, his mind was running in circles, trying to find an excuse, to protect Adachi somehow.  
  
“Is something wrong, partner?”, Yosuke asked with a concerned look.  
  
Yu shook his head and sighed. “Sorry. My head is hurting from all the thinking..”  
  
Naoto nodded understandingly and with a hand on her hip, she suggested: “Let's let the matter rest for today. I believe we all have a lot to think about. Let us meet up at Junes tomorrow and discuss the case further.”  
  
Yu and Yosuke both nodded and after saying his goodbyes to his friends, Yu headed to the police station. He needed to speak with Adachi immediately.  
  


It was 9 pm and Adachi was heading home, worn out and unarmed. His boss has forbidden him to carry a gun that day since it had to be maintained by specialists, otherwise it wouldn't function right. He just wanted to take a shower, eat the dinner that Yu made for him, maybe call his beloved silverette again and tell him not to come that day before he'd drift off to sleep. He didn't want to admit it, but his thoughts were recently revolving around Yu. He really was in love, huh? His mind was focused on going home and nothing else, thus it surprised him to see the brunette friend of Yu at his doorstep.

 

“Oh? Hanamura-kun? What are you doing here?”, he asked, being unusually friendly. He just hoped that the brunette would go away soon, no matter the reason behind his arrival.

 

“Don't act so clueless, you bastard! You may have fooled Yu, but you won't fool me!”, he hissed, pulling out his kunais. “You killed Saki-senpai and now you also fooled my partner into liking you. His resolve is wavering, just because of you! What lies did you tell him, huh?!”

 

“H-Hey...calm down. It has been confirmed that Namatame is the killer, right? What do you want from me then?”, Adachi asked, looking shocked. And he was shocked. He thought the plan through many times...he even spent sleepless nights as he thought everything over. There was no way he had messed up....unless the petty do-gooders indeed got something out of Namatame.

 

Still keeping up the angry look, Yosuke explained in a surprisingly calm voice “Well, Namatame confessed to us that he did everything except for the two initial murders. And together with Naoto, we figured out the aspects that would help us find the real murderer. It had to be someone from Inaba, someone who knows exactly what we are doing. Someone who could approach Yu's house without drawing attention and someone connected to the two victims. After we pointed that out, Yu acted strange and just said that he was going home. And seeing how much time you two spent together, I just had to put two and two together. I didn't tell anyone else though...it would just ruin everything.”  
  
_Damn it._

 

“Wow.”, was the only thing that the detective said, clapping his hands. “And what do you intend to do now that you know it was me?”

 

He got the answer quickly, as the brunette swirled around and kicked Adachi to the ground, straddling him and pinning his arms to the ground by pressing his knees on the older male's elbows, causing a pain-filled expression to appear on Adachi's face. “I won't forgive you. I was about to hand you over to the police, but if I did that, I'd betray my principles. I swore myself that I'd make the bastard pay for killing Saki-senpai...and now that you also fooled Yu, I am afraid that I can't hold back anymore.”

 

The detective looked up at the brunette and he could have sworn that the teen's eyes flashed yellow for just a split second. Was it even possible in the real world?

 

_Not like this..._

 

He tried to struggle and to throw Yosuke off of himself, but it was impossible. His efforts became weaker as he felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder area, feeling something scratch across his collarbone, leaving a weird vibrating pain. That was when he realized that it was the brunette's kunai piercing into him and attempting to crush his collarbone. He wanted to scream, but the teen had covered his mouth with his hand, so the only reaction to the pain that he could manage were quiet sobs as tears welled up in his eyes.

 

“You like that, you bastard? I'll let you feel _all_ the pain that Saki-senpai went through before I will let you die.”

 

_I can't die like this..._

 

It wasn't the Yosuke that Adachi knew. It wasn't the Yosuke that  _everyone_ knew. The darkness that the teen kept hidden in his heart had resurfaced, he was showing the pain that he carried along since last spring.

 

Mercilessly, the kunai was ripped out of his shoulder and traced across his cheek, leaving a deep cut, almost deep enough to cut through, but not quite. Despite his innocent looks, Yosuke seemed quite skilled when it came down to inflicting pain. The kunai left a long cut across his face and neck as Yosuke traced it down, making it seem like he was too lazy to lift the knife. As the weapon was all the way down to Adachi's ribcage, Yosuke lifted his arm just to rapidly move it down, thrusting through all the layers of clothing and sticking the kunai between his ribs, twisting it until a loud snap was heard, making Adachi cry out in pain, which came out as nothing more than a muffled sound through his nose. Tears rolled down his cheeks in streams and his whole body was trembling, unable to move otherwise. Yosuke proceeded breaking more ribs as if undoing the seams of a plush toy.  
  
_I can't...._

 

“You know, I heard that if all ribs are broken you will die. I actually wanna see if it's true or not.”, the teen was in a blood frenzy, yet as he brought down his kunai again, Adachi passed out from pain already. “Passed out already? How _lame_.” 

 

He still got to break one more rib before a gunshot resounded through the vacant street, echoing off the walls, and the world went black for Yosuke. The last thing that he saw was a familiar face looking down at him angrily or rather in utter disgust.

 

The one who shot Yosuke was no other than Narukami Yu himself. He picked up some files from the police station for his uncle and was asked to take Adachi's gun to its owner, since Inaba still wasn't officially deemed a safe place. How convenient it was that he was wearing gloves in winter... He carefully put the gun into Yosuke's hand while dialing an ambulance and calling the police.

 

Why did he risk so much for a man that was the murderer? He loved him.

 

Why did he fall in love with the man in the first place? Because of the tenderness and affection given to him....Because he was _needed._

 

“ _ **I know how you feel inside. You feel like you want to cry, but there is nobody that you can turn to. You asked yourself quite a few times if your friends here in Inaba are even real friends at all.”**_

 

His shadow was right. He didn't need anyone else. He had established a bond that couldn't be broken easily. There was no turning back, he finally caught up with the murderer just to fall in love with him.

 

“Tohru...Tohru! Please hang in there!”, he called out, afraid to touch the other just so that he wouldn't break him even more. But he saw the older male's chest rise and fall, even though it was irregular and seemed painful, he was still alive. The blood pooled under him and stained his clothes, making the teen even more woried. What if Adachi bled out before help arrived? Yu started impatiently glancing at his watch every minute, as if that would make the ambulance come faster. Yet, the car only arrived after ten more minutes. During that time, Yu's eyes were shifting between Adachi, his watch and from time to time, Yosuke's corpse.

 

He was glad to hear the ambulance sirens approaching, for it felt like Adachi would pass away any second now. The already pale face was now looking deadly white with only the cut on his cheek standing out. The eyelids of the detective fluttered open, revealing lifeless eyes that were now wide with fear as his mouth fell open, drawing in air in hungry gasps.

 

The teen grabbed Adachi's hand, calling out to him “Tohru! Help is underway! Just hold on a little longer!”

 

This sole gesture was enough to at least calm the dark-haired male down a little so that his breathing at least stopped coming as hungry gasps, making him sound more stable. And Yu was glad that he managed to keep the older male from choking, for right after the detective's breathing became somewhat stable, the ambulance car shot around the corner and stopped in front of the apartment complex. Soon, Adachi was on a hospital bed that was carted around in the ambulance, with IV needles in his arm, an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose as the paramedics rushed to make his bleeding stop. Yu wasn't allowed to follow Adachi yet, for he was to be interrogated as the only witness for the incident upon police's arrival.

 

Yu was the perfect accomplice for a murderer. He could tell a lie with a straight face or tell a truth in a way that it sounded like a lie. He picked up one of his deceased friend's kunais and stabbed through his own hand, doing his best not to scream, then tossed the weapon aside again.

 

The police arrived shortly after, asking him what happened. Yu just said that he saw Yosuke stabbing Adachi and had asked him to stop. As he did so, however, Yosuke had stabbed through his hand, disarming him, but the fact that Yosuke committed suicide with that same gun that he pried out of his hands came as a surprise.

 

Sure, at the police station nobody double-checked his statements. Everyone knew that he and Yosuke were good friends. More than that, Yu was detective Dojima's nephew. Nobody suspected him to be the lover of Adachi Tohru, though. Thus, the cops just dismissed the case after coming to the conclusion that 'Yosuke Hanamura attempted to murder Adachi Tohru, but failed and committed suicide because he couldn't handle the pressure.'

 

With that out of the way, Yu made his way to the hospital just to see his uncle sitting on a chair in front of the Critical Care Unit.

 

“Uncle..? How's Adachi-san holding up?”, Yu asked, just to see the older male shake his head.

 

"Doctors said that a splitter of his rib has come loose and is now dangerously close to his lungs. They are now performing a surgery to take it out. But they didn't guarantee his survival...”, the old man paused and his face changed into a bitter grimace. “Why does it always happen to people around me?"

 

The teen had never seen any emotion that was quite as strong as this one on his uncle's face, so he subconsciously draped his arm around the older male's shoulders.

 

"It was Yosuke who did it to him. I saw it.", he said in a tone barely above a whisper.

 

Dojima's facial expression remained grim, yet now also held anger and surprise. "Hanamura Yosuke?! He seemed like the guy who wouldn't harm a fly! Where is he now?"

 

"In the mortuary, probably. He committed suicide after I intervened.", he said with a sad look on his face. That he had to lie to his uncle was indeed sad.

 

 

"I'm sorry. He was a good friend of yours, after all. I was hoping to give you a peaceful year here in Inaba, yet you witnessed so much grief instead." With that, Dojima gave his nephew a big encouraging pat on the back.

 

Family is the only bond besides love that Yu was certain wouldn't break.

 

"Excuse me. Are you family of Adachi Tohru? We just got an update on his current state.", a nurse with black hair said as she walked out of the CCU.

 

"He doesn't have a family here in Inaba. But we are close friends of his.", Dojima explained and earned a nod from the nurse.

 

She hesitated for another moment before taking her clipboard and handing it to Yu.

 

"Five of his ribs are broken, two cracked. He has suffered heavy internal damage, especially after the surgery. The doctors are still trying to remove the splitter from his lung area and to prevent more ribs from splintering...even if we do succeed, you won't be allowed to see him for the next week. I am very sorry that it happened to your friend. We hope that he will-"

 

Her report was interrupted by a doctor rushing out the CCU. "Sayoko! We need a blood transfusion, quick! Blood type A negative."

 

After that, the nurse apologized and rushed towards the blood bank. It seemed that every single medic in Inaba was now inside the CCU, taking care of Adachi and trying to keep the detective alive.

 

"Uncle..I don't want Adachi-san to die.", Yu said, keeping his gaze on the doors to the CCU. He was, for the first time, panicking and it wasn't even his own life that was in danger.

 

Dojima seemed to notice that and quietly took the teen's face in both of his hands and made his nephew look at him.

 

"Yu...I am also worried, but panicking won't help him. He may not look like it, but he's been through a lot and still survived. He will be fine.", he reassured, smiling at his nephew slightly. As an adult, it was his job to comfort the kids....that wasn't quite right. He said all of it just because he was afraid too. Adachi and Yu were both like brothers to him and he didn't want either of them to die.

 

Subconsciously, Yu's arms moved and he hugged his uncle, partially to comfort himself, partially to give comfort to his uncle. He was around for long enough to see through most people. He could tell that Dojima was also on the verge of panic. He could tell that his uncle was scared.

 

He stayed in the same position for another 40 minutes, until Sayoko finally returned from the CCU and sighed in relief. "He made it through the surgery, but his condition is still critical. After he wakes up we'll also have to run psychological tests. It could be that he won't be able to return to his daily life...ever."

 

"How so?", Yu asked "Shouldn't it all be okay if he is taken care of?"

 

 

"Yeah...but due to the shock he went through during the attack it is quite possible that he won't let anyone take care of him.", the nurse explained. "He could see threat in everyone, you know?"

 

"Especially since the one who attacked him didn't look like the person to do so...", Dojima added sadly.

 

It was still quite a shock for everyone that Yosuke did it. Yu wondered what would happen when his friends would find out about it. Well, he'd tell them about it soon. But right now, Adachi was his priority.

 

"You should go home, Yu.", Dojima said, smiling a bit. "Adachi is alive and is resting now. You should rest too."

 

Sighing in defeat, the silverette nodded. " _ I don't want to go back to the empty house"  _ is what he actually wanted to say, but he couldn't make himself say it. That would only upset his uncle more since he wasn't allowed to leave the hospital yet.

 

“ I'll get going. Shall I help you to your room, uncle?”, Yu suggested, standing up and causing the older male to laugh a bit.

 

“ Hey, I might be hospitalized, but I'm almost healthy again! If I weren't forbidden to leave the hospital, I'd bring  _ you  _ home.”

 

With a smile of his own, Yu nodded and waved a goodbye, heading home. The walk was quiet despite the police sirens in the distance. He knew that they were securing all the evidence at the crime scene and also took Yosuke's corpse away...just as he thought about that, his phone went off in his pocket.

 

“ Hello. Narukami speaking.”, he said as he picked it up, waiting for a response. It wasn't a surprise that it was Naoto calling him.

 

“S-Senpai. The police has just found Yosuke's...”

 

“ ...corpse. I know. Let's meet up with everyone and talk about it tomorrow....”, Yu said with a sigh, hanging up before Naoto had a chance to respond.

 

That was the first time that he was annoyed. He was annoyed by how everyone fussed over Yosuke's death without knowing that Yosuke almost murdered the person who meant the most to him.

 

He entered the house which never before felt that empty to him. Usually, when he was lonely, he'd call Adachi and maybe ask him to come over...but now that wasn't possible. And his friends...well, he wanted to keep a distance to them. Especially since he already planned to aid Adachi in whatever plans he had now. He knew that he was the killer, but he couldn't care less, the fact has only made it more thrilling. As he thought that, he went to bed, not caring to take off anything but his winter coat and gloves. He just wanted to sleep and at least forget the incident for 8 hours where only his subconsciousness would be awake.

 

Little did he know that he would be awakened at Midnight by someone who would remind him of the worst crime he had ever committed and make him pay for it. As his eyes fluttered open, he saw a brunette with yellow eyes that towered over him and frowned angrily as he held him pinned against his futon.

 

“ Y-Yosuke..?”, Yu whispered in surprise “But you should be...”

 

“ Dead? Yes, the human Yosuke is gone. And I only came here to kill you for exploiting our trust. You knew that Adachi is the murderer, right? You knew it and yet you protect him with all you have. You know, he plans to turn all the humans into shadows. This world is doomed if you let him do as he likes.”

 

Yu started laughing at that. It was scary to see the usually silent teen laugh in such a loud, almost insane way.

 

“ Let him do as he likes? I won't do that. I will  _ help _ him do as he likes. If you were so against it, why didn't you just sneak into the hospital and kill him? You are just as much of an idiot as the human Yosuke was..”

 

The brunette's hands were now firmly gripping around the silverette's throat, using light pressure to make his intentions clear as his amber eyes glowed dangerously. “I only have limited time in this world...but I do plan on killing both of you before you destroy humanity.”

 

This wasn't a joke and Yu knew it. Yet, he didn't seem to care. “Hm? So, if you are so determined, why don't you finish me off? It would be easier that way, right? Then you could get to  _ Tohru  _ without anyone disturbing you.”

 

He got what he asked for. Yosuke's...no, Susano-O's fingers snaked around his neck, applying a big amount of pressure, almost instantly making Yu choke. The taller teen flailed around and gasped for air, not getting any to his dismay. The world started to fade to black, he was losing consciousness. He didn't see anything by the time the shadow stopped choking him and landed on the floor with a loud thump.

 

Since Yu couldn't see for another few seconds, he also didn't see how Yosuke's shadow has turned into its persona form in its own. Thus, as his vision became clear again, the scenery surprised him. Right in front of his futon, his own shadow form was standing in a protective posture while Yosuke's shadow was fighting against Susano-O.

 

“ This idiot will die soon. It takes up all his life energy to even keep this form up. Sure, it makes him stronger, but he can't use most of his skills here.”, the silver-haired shadow commented.

 

“Oh. By the way, Yu. We were sent by Adachi to protect you. And here's a message from him: Don't you dare die on me, you stupid brat.”, Yosuke's Shadow said as it blocked an attack by Susano-O.

 

A soft smile appeared on the teen's lips and he reached out to his katana that stood in the corner of the room, aiding the two shadows that fought alongside him to defeat the Persona. Three against one wasn't a fair fight, yet Susano-O was a formidable opponent, even in the human world. It was surprising that his room didn't become a mess as they traded blows with Yosuke's enraged other self for they all moved fast and struck hard, intending to end the battle as quick as possible, since the shadows already began to disintegrate. Susano-O was losing his Persona form and the two other shadows also eventually stopped looking human. Both of them were looking like plush dolls, but had a wide grin that made them look slightly creepy and mocking.

 

“ You two should get back into the TV and cure yourselves!”, Yu panicked as he pinned Yosuke's shadow down and thrust his katana down, stabbing through the shadow's neck. 

 

“ But we are just common shadows...And now that you know that we aren't the real shadows of yourself and Yosuke...why do you still protect us?”

 

“ You are still living beings. Now come. I'll help you two into the TV, alright?”, he said, taking the two shadows onto his arm and carrying them downstairs to put them through the TV in the living room. “Tell me when you are well again, yes?”

 

Recently, he started finding shadows utterly adorable. They always spoke what was on their mind, they only attacked people who resisted them or wanted to harm them...but what was wrong with wanting to attack a person that wants to do you harm? It was natural self-defense. And...some shadows went all the way out to aid him, just because Adachi told them to...why did Adachi have such an influence on the little creatures in the TV world? Was it just as his own influence in the human world? The fact that everyone accepted him as a leader right away? And for that instance...Adachi was in the hospital. How could he even communicate with the shadows?

 

Despite how much those questions bugged him, he decided to head back upstairs and try to sleep. As he opened the door to his room, Yosuke's shadow was nowhere to be seen, his katana was sticking out of the wooden floor just the way he had left it. The only sign that it all happened was the fact that he saw that the buddy's bandage which he got from Yosuke had disappeared, along with the Magician Arcana Social Link.

 

“ Farewell, Yosuke.”, Yu whispered into the silence of his room before crawling under his blanket and closing his eyes, quickly drifting back to sleep.

 

Next day he was woken up by his cell going off. Groaning in annoyance, the silverette picked it up, humming sleepily to make clear that he was listening.

 

“ Senpai? This is Rise. It it true that Yosuke..-”

 

“ Yes, he's dead.”, Yu replied without showing much interest for the topic. “Look. Didn't Naoto tell you that we'll meet up this afternoon? I know all the circumstances and I would like to tell it to everyone at once. Meet you guys in an hour since I'm already up.”

 

Nobody knew that, but Yu wasn't a morning person. When he got up by himself, he could manage to keep that hidden, but when someone has woken him up against his own will, he wasn't exactly the calmest person on earth. It surprised him that he managed to talk to Rise without sounding  _ too _ angry. But, now he was awake and he also promised to meet the rest of the Investigation Team in one hour, giving him just enough time to eat breakfast, get ready, check up on the shadows and then go to the Junes food court. He'd rather not go there, actually. Not only that the store itself reminded him of his dead friend, but today he'd have to explain..no, he would have to  _ lie _ to his other friends about what happened. He couldn't allow them to find out that Adachi was the killer, but he also wasn't sure if he could lie to people who knew him so well without getting caught lying.

 

How wrong he was. The Investigation Team believed every word that he said, after which Naoto came to the conclusion that Yosuke might have been the killer. Yu almost blew his cover by laughing at that statement, but kept it together and hummed, like he was in thought.

 

“ I know it is hard to believe, but what other reason was there for Hanamura-senpai's actions? He attacked a police officer who just delivered a report about his interrogation of Taro Namatame.”, she said with a serious facial expression and everyone seemed to agree.

 

“ Actually...at midnight, Yosuke's shadow also came into our world and tried to kill me. He said that everything would be better if I hadn't intervened.”, Yu added.

 

He could as well exploit the situation to close the case. Sure, his Judgment Arcana wouldn't grow, but it was alright, as long as he could keep the suspicions away from Adachi. Everyone seemed shocked, except for Naoto.

 

“ But why would he kill Mayumi Yamano? With Saki Konishi it's a different story. He knew her personally. But Mayumi Yamano?” the female detective said, adding after a small pause “Oh. And the power to throw people into the TV..he didn't have it before he got his Persona, right?”

 

Damn her. She always thought  _ everything  _ through. But Yu's brain worked fast and already came up with an explanation for all of her questions.

 

“ Do we know for sure that the people who ended up dead were thrown into the TV? We only know that they appeared on the Midnight Channel and that Namatame was throwing people inside of the TV. How about we look at it from a different perspective...for example that Yosuke had the power to summon shadows over to our side? Why else was his own shadow over here while his human self died?”, he suggested.

 

And Naoto seemed to buy it, which Yu was thankful for.

 

“ Hmm...But still, he had no connection to Mayumi Yamano, right?”, she pestered.

 

If it wasn't for her, Yosuke would have already been called a murderer, but at that moment, all of his friend's faces were thoughtful, their expressions making clear that they didn't want to believe that the clumsy brunette was the killer. He has been a friend to everyone, after all.

 

“ You're right. If we can't find a connection, then the theory is baseless.”, Yu said, sighing. “But why else would Yosuke become so violent?”

 

Nobody could come up with a reason, so all of them just decided to go to the Junes electronics department once more, as a memento of the times they had entered the other world, rescuing people. As if mocking them, a poster of Misuzu Hiiragi, Taro Namatame's ex-wife grinned town on them. The TVs gave off a feeling of emptiness, seeing as none of them were switched on. The whole department seemed so forsaken, nobody was around except them. Then again, not many people were out on the streets due to the fog either. After they spent a few moments in silence, Yu touched the surface of the TV screen, watching it become distorted, showing ripples like the ones on the water surface. He just absentmindedly left his hand inside the TV for a minute, staring into the screen, unblinking. Yet, apparently, he left it there for too long. Familiar hands grabbed his wrist and pulled with all might, causing him to stumble forwards, falling into the TV world before his friends could even react.

 

“ Looks like the trick worked.”, the fake Yosuke said. “Welcome back.”

 

“ You want to save Tohru, right? Then let's do it like this...”, his own fake shadow suggested, whispering it into his ear. 

 

“ You were so kind to us, that's the least we can do for you.”, the fake Yosuke said. “I am sorry that I read your thoughts, Narukami-kun. But it was necessary to know that you are indeed ready to give up everything for him. Take good care of Adachi.”

 

“ B-But you'll die!”, Yu exclaimed, shaking his head. “I don't want you to die after helping me so much.”

 

“ What other way is there to prove that Yosuke is the killer? Besides...you killed shadows before. And I am no different.”, he said, leaving Yu behind with the fake Yu shadow.

 

“ Well, we shall prepare too. Your story has to be foolproof...”, he paused, chuckling at the wordplay he made before continuing “..if you want to make sure Adachi is safe. So, let me do all the work. If you trust me, that is.”

 

In his current position, Yu had no right to question the motives behind the actions of the shadows. He entrusted himself to Adachi the moment he had confessed his love for the detective and since the shadows were sent out by Adachi to protect him, he had no choice but to trust them. Thus, he nodded and let the shadow prepare everything so that once his friends defeated Yosuke's fake shadow, they would find a quite shocking scene.

 

As the group of teens arrived, first thing they saw was Yu's figure hanging lifelessly from a noose on the ceiling. His eyes were rolled up, his mouth wide open. Everyone from the team froze in shock.

 

“ Is this...the end?”, Naoto whispered in disbelief. As nobody replied to her, a distorted voice came from behind.

 

“ So you're just gonna let him...no....let _ me  _ hang here? What a bunch of friends you are.”

 

Everyone in the group turned around to see Yu's shadow stand there.

 

“ Yo. Surprised? I am here to watch over myself. I can't trust you people if you can't even see the simple fact that Yosuke has a thing for older women.”, the amber-eyed silverette continued, shrugging. “A connection between Mayumi Yamano and Yosuke? He loved her and then the shocking news of her having an affair came. What do you think he ordered the shadows to do?”

 

The Investigation Team stood there, dumbfound. Naoto frowned in thought. She never even tried to look at it this way.

 

“ That's right, we were ordered to drag the  _ bitch _ in and tear her apart. And now that you have rejected my human self, I'll gladly destroy all of you as well. Unless you accept the truth as it is. Yosuke Hanamura is the killer. Or, actually, all of you are potential killers, since shadows are created by human minds.”, he explained, looking up to the body that was hanging down with a frown.

 

All the teens nodded and Naoto sighed. “Alright. So assuming that Hanamura Yosuke is the killer, will you disappear now that your human self is dead?”

 

The silver-haired male sighed. “You guys are so complicated....it pisses me off.”

 

To make a point, a dangerous red gleam appeared around him, meaning that he was on the verge of going berserk. He already got into a fighting stance, ready to strike.

 

Chie panicked and screamed “Yosuke was the killer. I'm sorry we doubted you, Yu-kun!”

 

“ Yeah man! Let's head home together already!”, Kanji added energetically.

 

The red gleam started to subside, so Yukiko pitched in.

 

“ Sure, it was hard to believe, but there is no doubt now!”, she said, looking up to the silver-haired shadow hopefully. 

 

The only person not saying  _ anything _ was Naoto since all the other people were too focused on him wanting to go on a rampage and thus were easily manipulated. That was easier than he thought....maybe he'd even stay alive after this little stunt? He hoped so, for he had taken a liking to spending time with Adachi and Yu. Usually, shadows didn't have an own personality, but he was starting to develop one, becoming more alive and it felt great.

 

He nodded and dissolved into the air, only teleporting into an another dungeon without anyone knowing that. As he did that, he removed a lesser shadow from Yu's body, allowing his human consciousness to take over again, causing the teen to flail around, starting to choke again.

 

Kanji, being the only person capable of carrying Yu had rushed over and held the silver-haired male by the waist, lifting him up a bit so that the noose wasn't pressing against his throat while Chie quickly grabbed a chair and removed the noose from her friend's neck completely.

 

“ T-Thank you.”, Yu coughed out, smiling at everyone, just then seeing that Naoto still looked thoughtful. “Is something the matter, Naoto-kun?”

 

The blue-haired female sighed in defeat. “I apologize. It's just that...the case is solved so easily and I can't find anything that we could have done wrong. Still, something bothers me. For example, your shadow right now. It was way too insistent.”  
  
Kanji sighed and supported her. “Well. I don't wanna say anything, but I bet all of us ain't gonna believe that Yosuke-senpai was the killer. He was helping us solve the case.”  
  
“But he was Yu-kun's best friend. He could have slipped the threat letters into his mailbox without anyone being suspicious.”, Chie suggested as an argument for the theory of Yosuke being the killer.  
  
Yu nodded in agreement. “Remember that he was the one who suggested the letter is just a prank. Maybe he just wanted to divert the attention from himself?”  
  
That was good. More and more evidence was pointing towards Yosuke. Yu knew he only needed to give his friends the last push. To make them ultimately believe that the deceased brunette was the killer.  
  
“I found it odd that the lazy Yosuke was the one who proposed the theory of the TV World being connected to the murders. He wanted to divert our attention from the murder itself.”, the silverette said, then adding. “And his shadow said that he only wanted excitement. Saki's death was the perfect excuse for him, wasn't it?”  
  
Finally, everyone fell silent for a while before Yukiko broke the silence.  
  
“In any case, we should go back. Plus, now that Yosuke-kun is dead, we need to take care of Teddie.”  
  
The mascot made a small humming sound. “Actually, I'll be fine. I am sad that Yosuke was the one doing those things...but his parents had already promised to take me in once they heard of Yosuke's death yesterday...”, he said, but still sounded lonely. “Let's go back.”  
  
Yu nodded. “Yeah. Sorry, but I promised my uncle I'd check up on him and Adachi-san. So now that this is out of the way, I have to go...”, he said in a timid voice, turning away from his friends and leading the way back towards the entrance. He was pretty sad himself. His lover was in the hospital, his best friend was dead (even though it was his fault), his parents didn't give him a single call while he was in Inaba...and a shadow he grew fond of had sacrificed himself for him. He decided to check on his uncle and Adachi-san and then call it a day.  



	3. Like the Number Zero

A week had passed in silence. The Investigation team seemed to have dissolved after they found Yosuke guilty. He didn't get any calls from any of the team members, the only conversations they had were only polite small talk they had at school. The streets were void of any humans as well since the fog wouldn't lift yet, giving Yu nothing to do. Even the Dojima residence was a ghastly, silent, empty house. So when he received the message from his uncle that starting that day it was alright to visit Adachi, Yu's heart skipped a beat. Finally there was a sign that his lover was getting better. Without any hesitation, Yu dressed in the same clothes he wore to his little trip with Adachi before heading to the hospital. 

As he arrived at the ICU, his uncle had just exited the room. The look on his face was a bitter one.

“Uncle? What's wrong?”, Yu asked in a worried tone, only to earn a sigh from the older male.

“Ah, Yu...I'm glad you're here.”, he said, before adding in a more self-mocking tone. “Adachi won't talk to me. He's scared of me since I always yelled at him and hit him at work. He's afraid I'd do the same here.”, he told his nephew honestly, looking down in defeat. “Well. It's a mystery how you and Nanako are putting up with me, too.”

Yu shook his head. “That's not true. I bet Adachi-san will talk to you again soon. I'll try to reason with him, alright? Don't worry now.”, he reassured and smiled a little. “You should head back to your room and get some rest. I'll tell you how it went afterward, okay? Besides, you and Nanako will be released soon, then we all can come visit Adachi-san.”

With that said, Yu entered the room and saw Adachi again. He looked terrible. His skin was almost snow white, contrasting the dark rings under his eyes and the bruises that covered his arms. His hair was even more unkempt than usual and his eyes seemed dull. Still,he mustered the strength to look at Yu and the corners of his mouth twitched up in a feeble attempt of a smile. “Pretty...pathetic...for a killer, huh?”, he asked in a voice that was barely a whisper, but obviously hurt Adachi to muster.

“Tohru...I'm so glad you survived...”, You said with a relieved smile, his eyes tearing up. “B-But you shouldn't talk. It will only hurt you..”; he said and sat down beside the older male. 

Seeing Yu so happy made Adachi smile feebly again. “Stupid...brat. 'M not dying....that easily..”, he said and then added. “I'll...be moved from ICU..tomorrow.”, he croaked out, flinching slightly. 

“Shall I get the nurse? Are the painkillers wearing off?”, Yu asked with worry, seeing Adachi so hurt after a whole week was truly eye-opening. 

Adachi shook his head. “Ha...I wish. I'm a walking morphine container already...”, he joked and closed his eyes. “Stay...a little...”

Yu nodded. “I'll stay until you fall asleep. I won't leave you alone, Tohru.” As he promised that, he took the detective's hand and held it between his own, warming it. He was glad that nobody came in to check on the dark-haired male for an hour, so he held Adachi's hand until the man's breath evened out and he fell asleep. He still looked very fragile, which concerned Yu. But at the moment he couldn't do anything else to help his beloved detective, so he took his leave.

From then on, he visited Adachi every day. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. For his friends, he became thin air. Naoto moved on with her detective studies, Rise got called by Inoue in the middle of January to resume her idol work (which she told she would do anyway), Teddie had to move away with Yosuke's parents since Yosuke's father was promoted...Chie and Yukiko stuck to themselves lately and Kanji has become well known for his knit dolls, so he started helping his mother at the textile shop. Just as Yu expected, his social links broke away, one after the other. As soon as he decided to aid the killer, his Velvet Room key has disappeared and he stopped seeing the magic doors that led to it in the shopping district. But he actually felt better that way. Maybe because he already anticipated it, it didn't hurt him much? He still had the power to enter the TV world and since he made friends with the shadows, they were being nice to him and didn't even try to attack him.. Dojima and Nanako were released on the 20th of January, from where they visited Adachi in turns. 

Only starting February, Adachi finally wasn't confined to his bed anymore. Finally, Yu could watch the detective's rehabilitation courses where he re-learned to walk steadily. After the doctor left, the two of them would spend the rest of the evening together. Today was one of such days. Adachi was gazing out of the window with a distant longing as the two of them sat there in a meaningful silence. Finally, Adachi spoke what was on his mind.

“You know...the doctors called my parents a while ago, telling them that I was in critical condition...”, he started off before biting his lip sadly. “But they didn't show up, send me a letter, called me or at least written me a short mail asking about my well-being. I guess good grades was all that mattered. Now that I am stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, I am a nobody. I don't exist anymore. Funny, huh?”, he asked with a self-mocking smile.

Yu shook his head. “You're not the only one, Tohru. My parents didn't contact me since I was here. Oh wait, they did. To ask me to stay here until next year.”, the teen smiled a little, not really bothered by that. He never had an emotional connection to his parents anyway, so why mourn over something that he never got? At lest that is what he told himself.

Adachi chuckled. “Wow. We are really sad, empty people.”

Knowingly, Yu grinned and recited Igor's words. “We are like the number zero. Empty, yet Special. Oh well, at least you're special to me.”

Just as he finished talking, Adachi burst out in laughter. “Wow. That was so cliché and cheesy....” He kept on laughing for some time, causing Yu to blush slightly again. It wasn't until Adachi's sides started to hurt that he stopped. Wiping away the tears that welled up in his eyes from laughing, Adachi nodded. “But yeah. I really took a shine to you after our small trip. You are really ridiculous though. Throwing a year worth of investigation out of the window for a sappy romance with a killer. I think you should be rewarded for that.”

“Rewarded?” The teen echoed, confused by what that meant. As he looked closer at the shorter male's face, he saw that the eyes were staring at him with a certain hunger. He instantly understood what Adachi meant by that.

“Think of an excuse to come to my place for a few nights, kid. I'll give you an experience you won't forget that easily.”, he promised with a self-confident smirk. “Oh and what do you think of hot springs sometime during March? Since you already were at the beach with your petty friends, you should have no problem showing me a little more skin, don't you think?”

Yu's cheeks were burning up by then, but nodded slightly. “I mean...we have been a couple for over two months now.”

He just wanted to make Adachi happy. It didn't matter what the detective wanted, he would do it. That was the condition of him staying alive despite knowing the true identity of the killer. It was the condition, the unspoken rule that he had to follow so Adachi wouldn't lose interest in him. He knew that Adachi has come to love him too, though. Thus, he was sure that no matter what the older male had in stake for him, it would never hurt him....too bad.

They were interrupted by a nurse entering the room. “I am sorry, Narukami-kun. Adachi-san's visit hours are over. He will soon receive his last medicine for today. If everything goes well, we shall release Adachi-san next week.”

With that, the nurse left the room again and Yu smiled happily. “You finally made it through, Tohru.”, he cheered.

Adachi grinned “Bad weeds grow tall, Yu. I can't die that easily.”

“You know...”, the teen said wth a grin. “You're shorter than me. So that really does only apply in a metaphorical sense.”

A playful growl came from Adachi's throat. “You little shit. Hurry up and kiss me before I change my mind.”, he said with a click of his tongue, pulling Yu in by the collar and roughly kissing him. “I can't wait till I'm out of here. It's fucking boring and I'm almost fully well. But the damn doctors still hold me here.”

“Wow, you sound like you are in prison or something. You still need to get your rehabilitation training after all.”, Yu insisted, looking really serious about it. 

Adachi sighed a little, but looked happy that Yu cared for him so much. “Jeez, don't worry, dumbass. I'll be fine. I'm taking my courses regularly. In fact, the nurse said that after she returns, you'll have to leave. We will be doing some psychological shit tomorrow, so I have to get up early.”

“Psychological shit? Wow, you already seem pretty normal to me.”, the taller male laughed and put the bag with a bento he made for the detective onto the nightstand. 

At the same moment when Yu set down the bento, the nurse returned to give Adachi the medicine and with a small scolding, she led Yu out of the room.

“Good night, Adachi-san. I'll visit again soon.”, the silver-haired teen said with an innocent smile, as if nothing had happened between them.

The detective laughed a bit at that and shook his head. Yu was always able to make him smile again...then again, he usually would be really angry at such comments, but he just couldn't bring up the strength to muster and genuine anger. And it was fine that way. After all, he has finally found his place in life. He had a friend, he found love...and the Dojima residence was a place he always could call home, even if Dojima would rather not have him overstay his welcome. “Heh. I guess I'm not that Empty anymore...Huh, Izanami?”, he asked no one in particular after the nurse left his room. 

The week passed slowly for the detective, but with every day he gained the will to live on, to continue shaping the world around him. Thus, the fog lifted. Ameno-Sagiri has acknowledged the will of humanity to live on, since he was only measuring it on Adachi, vicariously. After all, Izanami did plan Ameno-Sagiri to experience nihilism and destroy the human world.

As soon as the week ended however, Adachi was finally released and the first thing he did was to go outside on his own, he took in the rays of sun and breathed in the fresh air. “Finally out of that fucking prison.”, he muttered to himself. It was really great to be outside. But, he knew himself pretty well...in a few days, he'll be a regular couch potato again. After all, Izanami apparently heard him since the fog cleared. And if he wanted to visit Dojima and Nanako, he had a car now. And Yu? He was sure the kid would come to him from the word 'go'. Just as he thought about the three, he heard cheerful laughter of the young girl. 

“Adachi-san! I see Adachi-san, Dad!”, she chirped happily and pointed at him, happily running towards the clumsy detective.

Dojima was a little nervous about speaking to Adachi since he refused him a few times before, but the fact that his daughter ran so fast was of greater concern. “Careful, Nanako! You were just released as well, so don't run so fast!”, he called after her, but Yu was faster.

“Don't worry, uncle, I got this. I have an eye out for Nanako at all times.”

Adachi smiled softly and just waved before finally saying something. “Wow. I didn't expect to get such a warm welcome back party right in front of the hospital!”, he laughed and patted Nanako on the head gently. “Are you all alright?”

“That's what we should be asking you, Adachi.”, the older male said, giving his partner a hearty pat on the back.

“Whoa, Sir. Be careful with your strength please..”, the clumsy man winced, earning a laughter from his superior.

Nanako pointed at the small kiosk right across the street. “Dad, I'll go get some gum, is that okay?”

Dojima hummed “Just be careful. I'll keep an eye on you.” The girl nodded and cheerfully skipped across the street to the kiosk. 

Yu smiled softly at that. “Seems that everything is alright again, huh?”

Adachi nodded and gave Yu a small smirk while Dojima was busy lighting his cigarette. “Yeah. Almost everything is back where it belongs.”, he said a little bit quiter, to let Yu know that he hasn't given up on the plan of 'thanking' Yu.

Dojima, unaware of what his partner meant, nodded as well. “Yeah, I still have a few questions considering Yosuke Hanamura. I want to ask you what you remember, Adachi.”

“Oh? You mean the attack?”, Adachi asked, immediately coming up with a lie. “He caught me off guard, kicked me to the ground and stabbed me, rambling something about me never being able to solve murder cases. I believe he wanted that case to remain unsolved for some reason.”, he muttered, trembling as he failed in blocking out the memories that he suppressed before.

Yu helped him loosen up a bit again. “Then he targeted the wrong person, huh?”

“Hey! You might not believe it, but I am actually a very smart guy!”, he pouted, earning a deep, baritone laughter from Dojima.

“Good one. I'm glad I didn't put a damper on the mood.”, the man said, watching as his daughter returned with a pack of her favorite strawberry gum.

Adachi spoke up again. “So? Are we good to go?”

“Yeah. I suggest that we go and celebrate together. I'll even buy premium sushi.”, Dojima said with a hearty laugh.

Nanako beamed “Oh! The super-fancy thing!”

Yu nodded. “And maybe Adachi-san should stay the night. I can crash the couch so he can sleep on my futon.”

“Hm? I can also drive Adachi home-”

Yu interrupted again. “Knowing you and Adachi, Uncle...you both will be drunk by the end of the night. So it is better for you both if you don't leave the house.”

Both men agreed on that, even though Adachi had different reasons for agreeing to such a suggestion. Since Dojima would be drunk, he'd sleep until late in the morning. Thus, he could use this opportunity to do some extra bonding with Yu. 

“Well. Let's get going. I parked my car right around the corner.”, Dojima said and already walked on ahead together with Nanako. “We'll drop by Junes on the way home to get the sushi.”, he said as he walked down the street and to the car, Nanako, Yu and Adachi soon following suit.

*******

The evening was relaxing. After eating the sushi together, Dojima and Adachi sat on the couch while Yu and Nanako sat at the dining table on their respective places and watched TV. The Miracle Quiz Show was on that evening, so everyone did their best to reply the questions along with the contestants. Most of all, Nanako. Yu smiled proudly whenever the little girl answered correctly. Meanwhile, Adachi and Dojima were drinking beer. While the older of the two had just finished his fourth bottle for the night, Adachi was still on his first.

“Adachi! Whatz wrong wiz you?”, the man lulled “You're so...hic...slow today.”

Yu and Nanako exchanged a look that meant 'He should go to bed soon'. But the rambling didn't stop and Dojima leaned closer to Adachi, inspecting him.

“You plan on lettin' me drink 'lone? I should....arrest you...for....”, then the detective fell over, falling asleep on Adachi's shoulder, never finishing that thought.

Nanako looked a little disappointed in her father, but knew he meant no harm.“I'll go get dad's futon ready. Can you two help him get to his room?”, the girl asked, hopping away.

Adachi looked at Yu and smirked, leaning closer. “So, we bring Dojima to sleep and then you get my 'thanks' for being so 'special', Mr. Accomplice.”

The teen's face flushed red, and his heart beat faster. “J-Just don't say it in front of Nanako and Dojima..”

“I can't promise anything.”, Adachi chuckled and lifted Dojima together with Yu, carrying the man into his bedroom and laying him down onto the soft futon, after Which Nanako covered him with a blanket.

The little girl quickly disappeared in her room as well after thanking the two, obviously happy that the dinner was lively again and that Adachi got better. As Adachi was left alone with Yu, he smirked. “So? I suggest that we head to bed as well.”, he said in an innocent tone, despite his smirk revealing all of his intentions. All he got from the teen was a short nod, after which both of them went upstairs in silence, careful not to be heard by either of the two Dojimas. They spent all the preparations in silence as well, spreading out the futon and taking off their clothes like it was some sort of ritual. Even though Yu seemed nervous, he removed his clothing rather quickly, revealing a well-toned, pale body with a few scars from battles here and there. Finally, the silence was broken by a wolf whistle from Adachi.

“I got myself quite the prize there, huh?”, he said with a teasing smirk.

Yu was not so lucky for he didn't see much of Adachi's skin due to the bandages covering his torso. Not that he got any chance to look at Adachi long enough anyway, for the shorter male rapidly approached Yu to push him back and down until he laid down on the futon, his back pressing firmly against the fabric. The detective straddled him and assaulted his lips with passionate kisses, clearly showing that tonight he had no more intentions of being gentle, careful and insecure. The change in mood turned Yu on and he eagerly returned the kisses, parting his lips to invite the detective for more, to show him that he was okay with going through with it. Both bodies heated up, a tongue eventually making it's way into Yu's moth after a few open-mouthed kisses, dominating their kiss with ease. The older male's hands wandered across the teen's torso, touching his neck, his shoulders, down his chest until stopping at the pink buds that were already hard and pinching them playfully.

“Haah!”, Yu gasped, breaking the kiss, as he was unable to concentrate on that any longer.

Adachi quickly shushed him. “You want us to get caught, kid? Hold your voice back, yes?”

Yu nodded and bit the back of his hand, indicating that he would stifle his moans and groans from now on, giving Adachi the sign he needed to go on. His lips moved to the teen's neck, nipping and sucking on the tender skin, making sure that a few marks would be visible towards the base of the neck, wandering down to the chest to stain it with bites and hickeys as well. There was nothing gentle about the way in which Adachi did it, but the silverette didn't seem to mind at all, groaning against his hand and throwing his head back. He needed more, the teasing touches, kisses and bites were enough to make him horny, but far from enough to satisfy him. He removed his hand and whispered in a needy voice.

“T-Tohru...more...”, he begged, opening his eyes just a little, causing the older male to chuckle.

“Wow kid...I'm only getting started and you are already so impatient? You know, I wanted to make your first time absolutely stunning.”, he teased.

The teen stuttered “I-It already is...”

“So needy and lewd...I like that. But you better remember that you are only my bitch. In fact, I'll make sure you remember that.”, he said, his face twisting into a malicious expression.

Without giving the teen another chance to speak, he threw one of the taller male's thighs over his shoulder to spread his legs before leaning down and deep-throating his member right away, causing Yu to let out a moan that was quickly reduced to a whimper by biting into the hand again. While Adachi got adjusted to the size of the erection, holding Yu's hips down so the teen wouldn't choke him by thrusting his hips upwards, he worked his tongue on the underside of the member, rubbing it firmly against the shaft before making his way up again. As he reached the tip, he pulled the foreskin away to lick over the slit, drawing more and more whimpers from Yu. Seeing how much the teen liked that, he repeated the action, bobbing his head up and down before giving the erection a few sucks.

“..'m close...”, Yu warned shyly, but Adachi would have none of that. 

“Not yet, kid...”, the detective said after pulling away. “Where is the lube? I'm sure even a goody-goody like you has some.”

Yu nodded. “It's in my desk drawer...”, he said inbetween gasps, watching Adachi in a haze as the man stood up and retrieved the small bottle from the desk drawer.

“Wow. Strawberry flavor?”, the detective laughed a little and kneeled down on the bed again. 

He didn't think Yu would be the type for such girly flavors, but oh well. Maybe that would make for some fun roleplay in the future. He pulled Yu's leg over his shoulder again and popped the cap of the lube open to coat his fingers in a generous amount of lube before prodding Yu's entrance with his middle finger, coaxing the teen into letting him in by drawing circles around the ring muscle before pushing inside. This was obviously uncomfortable for the teen, but that was Adachi's goal. He wanted to delay the silverette's climax a little longer, because he knew that he wouldn't be satisfied with just one round. He slowly inserted a second and a third finger in, scissoring them and moving them in and out, trying different angles until the teen emitted a high-pitched sound, which he was sure would have been a scream if it wasn't for the hand blocking out the noises. 

“So it's here, huh?”, he hummed curiously, withdrawing his fingers before pulling Yu up. “Well, Yu...You always wanna be on top, right? I figured I'd let you ride me instead.”

Before the taller male had even the slightest Idea of what was Going on, the detective laid back down and guided Yu's hips down onto his own erection, giving him an idea of what he wanted. As soon as his tip penetrated the hot tightness, he had to let out a small groan himself and he was sure Yu would have said something witty about keeping his voice down as well, but the teen was just too far gone in the intensity of the sensation himself.

“T-Try to relax a little....you're literally crushing me...”, Adachi groaned, gently stroking Yu's member to distract him from the pain. 

Seemingly, it worked and Yu could lower himself further onto the the detective's erection, taking it inch by inch with words of encouragement from Adachi. Soon, he took all of Adachi inside of him and stopped for a brief moment to catch his breath. It was the first time he experienced anything as intense as this. The detective gazed intently into the teen's eyes, passion burning inside them. He saw how erotic the teen looked, with his hair sticking to his forehead and all messy, his gray eyes darkened by lust, looking less like gray quartz and more like moonstone. His lips were glistening from saliva and his cheeks were flushed a dark red. The moonlight came through the small window in the teen's room, making the small drops of sweat on the boy's skin glisten, giving Yu an almost angelic shine.

After drinking the sight in, the detective had to blush a little himself. He had never imagined the teen to look so sexy...”Wow...”, he whispered, unaware it slipped past his lips.

Hearing the whisper, Yu looked directly into Adachi's eyes and smirked lazily, taking this as his cue to start moving. He raised his hips and gracefully slid back down, making sure that the dark-haired male was inside him down to the base. He leaned forward slightly and continued riding Adachi, guiding the erect member inside of him towards his prostate. He kept his voice down as much as he could, a soft moan slipping past his lips as he finally felt the friction against his prostate, an electric shock going through his body, filling him with lust and pleasure. He picked up the pace and soon, Adachi was panting and groaning under him as well. It turned out, that between them both, Adachi still was the vocal one while being ridden.

“Shit...you're good....”, the detective cursed, suddenly feeling the urge to take more control. “Playtime's over, kid..”, he groaned, pushing Yu's thighs up until the silverette fell over with a small squeak, lying on his back with his thighs in each of Adachi's hands and the detective between them, in a kneeling position, never even pulling out of Yu. 

Without giving the teen any time to adjust to the new position, he started thrusting relentlessly, far harder than the teen had done, but Yu didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, Yu now had to pull his blanket up so he could bite into it and prevent the louder moans from slipping his lips. The wild, rough thrusts were more pleasing to the teen and he threw his head back, teeth clamping down on the sheets, letting out a loud groan, thankfully muffled by the fabric. A harsh thrust targeting his prostate made clear that he couldn't hold back from coming any longer and he let go of the blanket to moan a warning.

“T-Tohru...I-I'm coming..!”, he said in a loud whisper.

Before the detective could do or say anything, Yu came hard, sperm covering his abdomen and chest. Adachi blinked twice before his eyes narrowed and he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Well, since I didn't say you could actually come, I believe you must be punished.”, the murderer inside Adachi has awakened and he wanted to have his playtime now. Yu wouldn't be able to say no.

Adachi noticed the katana sitting in the corner of the room and smirked, pulling out of Yu and walking over to grab the weapon and unsheathe it, pointing the katana at Yu. “Get up.”, he said, giving Yu no room for an argument. Yu obeyed, standing up and in front of the man pointing the sword at him.

“On your knees.”

Adachi's orders were short and sharp, his words coming out like venom. And the teen knew better than to defy the orders. He got on his knees and looked up at the older male, still not saying anything. Yet Adachi noticed that the teen had a semi-erection now. So danger was really the way to turn Yu on..

“You know what to do now, don't you? Open your mouth, you little bitch.”

Yu nodded and opened his mouth, leaning closer to the erect member right in front of his face.

“I didn't order anything else yet, did I?”, the older of the two spat out, his eyes glowing with sadistic glee as he grabbed the teen by the hair, roughly pulling it to make him look up.

“N-No, you haven't...”, Yu said, keeping his mouth open.

The smirk on the detective's lips widened, looking almost unrealistic now. “Good boy. Now, you can just keep that stance for a bit.”

Adachi saw that the boy was confused, but he didn't waste time and thrusted into the teen's mouth, never loosening the grip on the Katana, but also not letting go of the silver hair. He thrusted deeper each time he went in, so Yu soon understood that he had to widen his throat so he wouldn't gag. Soon, the teen was deep-throating the entire member, too focused on not gagging to actually take some initiative. 

“Wow, it actually fit in....”, Adachi gasped. “You're so good at this, it's almost unbelievable it's your first time..or maybe you're just that lewd...”

Yu groaned in response, the vibrations traveling from his throat to Adachi's member, making the detective groan again. If that continued, Adachi knew he'd come soon. “Just a little more...”, he grunted out, thrusting in and out of Yu's mouth again. After three more thrusts, the detective bit his teeth together and moaned as he came inside the teen's mouth, luckily not being too deep inside, so the teen didn't gag. Adachi pulled out and pointed the tip of the katana against the silverette's throat again. 

“Swallow.”, he commanded.

With a slightly disturbed face, Yu gulped down the thick liquid and awaited the next order, still on his knees. Adachi smirked at the view, nodding.

“Since you are so obedient, let's try that again? I see you're hard and I always need to finish at least twice to be satisfied. So, back on the bed with you. Lay on your back and spread your legs for me.”, he said, smirking as he put the sword back where it belonged and saw upon turning around that Yu was indeed in the position he had told him. “Wow. You really are something else. But don't even think of coming until I allow you to, got it?”

Yu nodded and Adachi's features softened as he crawled closer, kneeling in between Yu's legs and pulling one of his thighs up, draping it over his shoulder as he penetrated Yu again, still semi-erect. Once again, the tight, hot walls clamped down on him and he had to hiss, which was the cue for the silverette to relax. As the tightness became bearable, the older male immediately began to move, thrusting at a rapid pace, every time targeting the taller male's prostate. This time, Yu forgot to grab onto the blanket, becoming increasingly louder. Before his moans could wake anyone in the neighbor rooms, the detective acted quickly, putting one of his hands onto the teen's throat and pressing down, so that the younger one's voice wouldn't come out due to the lack of air. And it worked.

Panicked gasps filled the room, and the teen squirmed around a little, but he didn't make any attempts to break free. As he looked up at the policeman, his eyes shone with excitement and lust, urging Adachi to keep thrusting deeper and harder, ultimately driving both of them to their climaxes. Adachi got a kick out of strangling the teen, it turned him on to see the panicked gasps, to feel the squirming underneath him and to have the knowledge that he could end that life so easily. It was the same for Yu. He felt a rush of adrenaline mix into the feeling of lust, the feeling of helplessness was one that Yu welcomed when it came to Adachi.

“...ru”, he croaked, trying his best to ask for permission to release. “..can..I?”

It was hard to hear, but the detective didn't miss it.”Not yet.”

He let go of the teen's throat just to cover his lips with his own, rendering the teen unable to catch his breath properly. His thrusts slowed down, but they became deeper, as if aiming to pierce the younger one's body. He pulled away from the lips for a second to whisper against them.

“Now you can.”

Not giving Yu a chance to reply, he kissed the teen passionately again. The teen wrapped his arms around Adachi's neck, pulling him closer and moaning loudly against the older male's lips as he came, this time staining the detective's belly. As he came, he clamped town on the erection inside of him, his wall tightening around Adachi and forcing him into his climax.

Adachi buried himself deep inside Yu as he came, filling the teen up and moaning against the soft lips. He pulled away from the kiss again and looked into Yu's eyes, satisfied and gentle.

“You really are amazing. Are you sure it's your first time?”, he joked as he pulled out and stood up.

Yu sat up in a rush. “T-Tohru, where are you going?”, the teen asked, panicked.

Adachi looked back as he wiped his abdomen clean with one of the tissues that were on Yu's desk. “You don't actually expect me to sleep up here and get caught by your uncle, do you?”

Yu nodded. “I guess not..”, he seemed disappointed though.

“Hah. Don't forget, you promised me to go to the hot springs with me and to spend a few days at my apartment. So, the opportunity to sleep in one bed will still come.”, the detective purred, immediately cheering Yu up. “But for now I should head home. There should still be busses running till 2 am.”, he said with a small smile as he got dressed again. “It's not like I don't want to stay or anything, but I haven't been in my apartment for at least 1,5 months. I wonder if they cleaned up the bloodstains by now.”, he joked.

Yu shook his head and pouted slightly. “That's nothing you should be joking about...you could have died..”

Adachi chuckled and leaned down to kiss the teen again as he was fully dressed. “I know, I know. But, I do find it funny that the case remains unsolved. And didn't you say something about pinning the blame onto that Hanamura kid?”

Yu nodded again. 

“You really are something special. Everyone believes what you say.”, Adachi laughed in amazement. “So, what are you up to tomorrow? Going out with your friends?”, he added as he fixed his jacket.

The teen smiled and shook his head. “They kind of all ditched me. I guess I was only good enough for solving the crimes.”

The shorter of the two stood there in silence, trying to analyze Yu's feelings at that exact moment. But, seeing no sadness, he grinned and came over to the silverette to give him a chaste kiss on his lips. “I guess I made you empty, huh? After all, I went through the same thing." He smirked darkly, almost as if filled with Schadenfreude "Welcome to real life, kid. I'll call you tomorrow morning, so you better expect my call.”

With these words, Adachi left the room, leaving a dazed and smiling Yu behind. Adachi said something that was...cool?


End file.
